My 60 Essential Jazz and beyond Records of 2017....

Doo Doo Doo

In Between Revisited: Jazzanova Live

L.O.V.E. and You & I (Little Big Beat Studio Live Session)

taken from my album 'hope is perseverance'

hope is perseverance

Dom Salvador JID024

Safira

فریاد – Faryad

BHOUM BÄP

With two critically acclaimed compilations already under his belt, DJ / collector miche returns to Mr Bongo with the third instalment of his With Love series. Testament to his ever-expanding taste, Volume 3 isn’t just a subs bench call-up from the past compilations, it’s an evolution and progression casting the net deeper and wider than before.

Keeping true to the series, but with some fresh surprises along the way, this carefully curated compilation is a celebration of soulful, independently released music from across the globe, and the amazing (often unsung) musicians and vocalists that made these sublime records.

Across the third volume, miche explores a jazzier side of his tastes. “The deeper I went, the more I found myself gravitating towards jazzier music - not leaving soul behind, but following that same feeling into new territory”, he explains. Tracks like the gliding jazz funk found on Late Nite Music Band’s ‘Sundance’, or the glorious jazz-soul number ‘In Flight’ by Spectrym are shining examples of this.

That defining soulful thread of previous volumes is still in full effect throughout this latest edition. “There’s a healthy dose of impossible-to-find soul gems that have that unmistakable, heartwarming feel. Tracks like John Simmons' 'Ain't Nothing Like The Love', which I've adored ever since Zaf Love Vinyl played it, sit perfectly alongside records like Le Cop and New Way”, states miche.

The addition of some top-tier Turkish music showcases another side to his ever-broadening taste. Nükhet Ruacan's 'Gölge' is something unique, a floaty Brazilian-inspired gem recorded in Turkey and not what you’d typically expect from Turkish records of this era.  

It also wouldn’t feel right to leave out a stop in Brazil, with miche looking to the work of Carlos Bivar whose track 'Amargo Amar' carries that undeniable groove of samba-funk from Rio.

Spreading the With Love message far and wide the series has led to miche DJing across the globe, “from batucada sessions in Timisoara, to all-night sets in a club in Beijing, and even an eight-hour Root Down With Love stage takeover at We Out Here festival, joined by Danilo Plessow, Jeremy Underground, and of course, my mentor and buddy Rainer Trüby.”

Volume 3 then, carries that message even further. It’s an eclectic but intentional collection, built for the music lover who wants to discover something new. Working just as well as a soundtrack to cook dinner to, as it does keeping a packed dancefloor moving into the small hours. 


Nükhet Ruacan - Gölge

This one was an unexpected treat. Two of our favourite contemporary musicians, Finn Rees & Sholto coming together and collaborating on a double dose of celestial, cinematic alchemy.

At Mr Bongo we are massive admirers of drummer, musician, and producer Sholto (Oscar Robertson). His two albums on Funk Night Records and DeepMatter Records, had both been highlights of their respective years. We’d gotten to know Oscar and sent him a few records. Included in the package was Australian pianist-composer Finn Rees’ debut album, Dawn Is A Melody, which was one of our favourite releases on Mr Bongo in 2024.

In Oscar's words 'For me it was a standout modern jazz record - encapsulating a spiritual / hazy dreamy soundscape which hugely resonated with me. Glissando keys and harp with lush melodies, I was instantly intrigued.”  

The pair started following each other online and as luck would have it, Finn was staying in London for the summer season, so they arranged to meet. The pair instantly clicked and said it felt like they'd known each other for years. After 40 minutes of chatting, they started to jam. 

'Love In Memory' and 'Bluebell' were recorded over two days - a track a day in Oscar's SFJ studios. Laid down on mostly analogue equipment, the pair utilised Wurlitzer’s, mellotrons, and ribbon mics through Oscar’s ‘70s Studer desk. Composed and crafted without any real intentions, other than a shared appreciation for the same style of music and approach, the tracks started to take shape. The results were as lush, nostalgic and textured as you’d expect from these two brilliant musicians, with a classical feel inspired by artists such as Piero Piccioni, Piero Umiliani, and Henry Mancini. 

For the beautiful string arrangements, the pair recruited the talents of Sholto's long-time friend and collaborator Clementine Brown (Penguin Cafe Orchestra) and Matthew Hayes of 30/70, Allysha Joy, Xpress Point, Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange fame, was brought in to play bass on 'Bluebell'.

So here we have it, a chance collaborative project built on two musicians' mutual respect for each other's outputs. The result is truly breathtaking.


Finn Rees & Sholto - Love In Memory

1. Robert Glasper Experiment - Black Radio feat. Yasiin Bey (Pete Rock Remix)
2. Dopehead - Guttah Guttah 
3. Black Star - Sweetheart. Sweethart. Sweetodd.
4. J Dilla - Detroit Madness (feat. Ronnie Euro) 
5. Doechii - Boiled Peanuts 
6. FloFilz - Look Of Love 
7. Sunken Heads - The Journey 
8. All Natural - Renaissance 
9. Mr Jukes - Leap Of Faith (feat. De La Soul & Horace Andy) 
10. A Tribe Called Quest - We The People 
11. Elaquent - Guidelines (feat. Oddisee)
12. K-Def - Escapizm (feat. Rob-O)
13. J-88 - The Look Of Love Pt.2
14. Saib - Pennywise (feat. Masta Ace)
15. Q-Tip - Let‘s Ride
16. Bizzare Tribe (A Tribe Called Quest & The Pharcyde) - Otha Otha Fish 
17. The Game - Love It Or Hate It
18. De La Soul - Pain (Snoop Dogg)
19. Illa J - Home
20. Suff Daddy - Det2bln (feat. Phat Kat & Elzhi) 
21. Slum Village - Fall In Love 
22. HulkHodn & Retrogott -Doindamage
23. MF Doom - Kon Karne

RapSnacks

Luisa (Feat. Azymuth) - Lenha Na Fogueira

Rutger Zuydervelt works his magic on Fiium Shaarrk's kaleidoscopic 15/8 original to stunning effect :-)

The Silverback

The Heliocentrics

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