London Brew (Concord Jazz)
London Brew
Released March 31, 2023
AllMusic Favorite Jazz Albums 2023
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About:
London Brew is inspired by the legendary Miles Davis’ album, Bitches Brew. Recorded in December 2020 at The Church Studios in London, this three-day recording session brings together 12 London based artists, collectively known as “London Brew”: Benji B, Raven Bush, Theon Cross, Nubya Garcia, Tom Herbert, Shabaka Hutchings, Nikolaj Torp Larsen, Dave Okumu, Nick Ramm, Dan See, Tom Skinner and Martin Terefe. Produced by Martin Terefe and Executive Producer Bruce Lampcov, these original recordings celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Bitches Brew. Available as a 2-LP set, 2-CD & digitally.
“It was a pleasure to record with such a talented group of UK musicians and friends, and to work with the producers on this amazing project. It was made more special by the iconic space we were in (Paul Epworth’s Church Studios). We were all so excited to make music together again during that time of lockdown. This session was special in so many ways and we poured all of it into the music.” – Nubya Garcia
“For me, that’s what Bitches Brew is. It’s a bunch of musicians making music because of the love of making music, as a social force and as a social construct. They are creating something that expresses unity and motion. That’s what it is to be alive… you know, you have unity, you have motion, and you have vibration. You don’t get any more alive than that. That’s Bitches Brew.”
Shabaka Hutchings
Track Listing:
Disc 1
1. London Brew 23:34
2. London Brew, Pt. 2: Trainlines 15:47
3. Miles Chases New Voodoo in the Church 07:27
Disc 2
1. Nu Sha Ni Sha Nu Oss Ra 08:54
2. It’s One of These 06:54
3. Bassics 02:49
4. Mor Ning Prayers 09:52
5. Raven Flies Low 12:57
Written by Martin Terefe / Dave Okumu / Benjamin Benstead / Raven Bush / Theon Cross / Nubya Garcia / Tom Herbert / Shabaka Hutchings / Nikolaj Torp Larsen / Nick Ramm / Dan See / Tom Skinner
Personnel:
Dave Okumu: guitar
Martin Terefe: guitar, electronics
Nubya Garcia: saxophone, flute
Benji B: decks, sonic re-cycling
Dan See: drums, percussion
Nick Ramm: piano, synthesizers
Nikolaj Torp Larsen: synthesizers, melodica
Raven Bush: violin, electronics
Shabaka Hutchings: saxophone, woodwinds
Theon Cross: tuba
Tom Herbert: electric bass, double bass
Tom Skinner: drums, percussion
Recorded December 7th, 2020, at The Church Studios in London, to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Bitches Brew.
Produced by Martin Terefe
Executive-Producer: Bruce Lampcov
Associate Producer: Paul Epworth
Musical Director: Dave Okumu
Production Manager: Fred Bolza
Recorded by Dilip Harris
Assistant Angineers: Like Pickering, Chiara Ferracuti
Mixed by Martin Terefe
Additional Engineering by George Murphy
Mastered by Dyre Gormsen
Cover: Samplism Artwork by Toby Laurent Belson, 2022
Photography: Nathan Weber
Package Design: Jean Krikorian
Review:
In 2020, some of London’s finest musicians and bandleaders were engaged by Bruce Lampcov to play a series of improvised European concerts celebrating the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis’ seminal Bitches Brew — very arguably the first fusion album. Unfortunately, the pandemic decided these were not to happen. In December, five days after the U.K.’s second quarantine ended, this collective assembled for three days in a studio. London Brew is the result. The players are nearly a survey of the current South London scene: saxophonists Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings; tuba player Theon Cross; turntablist Benji B; drummers/percussionists Tom Skinner and Dan See; bassist Tom Herbert; guitarist Dave Okumu; violinist Raven Bush; and keyboardists Nikolaj Torp Larsen and Nick Ramm. Lampcov is the executive producer, and Martin Terefe produced the album. In keeping with the studio vibe Davis created for the Bitches Brew sessions, this group’s members offered one another only loose ideas, like a tempo, groove, or vamp, etc. That said, before that exchange occurred, they directly absorbed loops and samples from Bitches Brew gathered by Benji B; all are properly credited to Davis’ estate. The musicians stumbled over them and one another on the first day. On the second, they were more comfortable with each other and the emergent collective creative process. On the final day, they gelled and cut the disc.
These selections range from the truly out and exotic to moody, dark-tinged funk and modal grooves. The title-track opener, offered in two parts, commences with spacious string drones, electronic sounds, and wandering sax and oboe lines above a a skeletal rhythmic pulse. Its second part revels in dub production effects, with gated, overdubbed drum kits and low-tuned bass in shifting time signatures. The wonky, distorted guitars enter next, adding a paranoid telegraph key cadence to the emergent dark funk. The single “Miles Chases New Voodoo in the Church” seemingly appears from bass clarinet and sax lines punctuated by droning minor-key organ, constantly rolling, muted drums, powerful electronics, and spiky guitars. “It’s One of These” is closest in spirit to the music actually found on Bitches Brew. Though initiated by a lockstep funk groove by drums, guitar, and electronics, Hutchings’ meandering bass clarinet solo adds not only harmonic but textural dimension as Rhodes piano and solo bass lines weave a new vamp for the band to follow. Herbert’s bass and Cross’ tuba entwine with an etheric oboe on “Bassics.” Its production, backmasking, ambient sounds, and random effects closely recall Jon Hassell’s ECM era. Closer and second single “Raven Flies Low” is initiated with a seemingly fixed, if elastic, groove and dominated by violin. Bass and drums create a staggered, striated funk groove as a Rhodes piano offers floating harmony in Bush’s vamping and solo. The ensemble on this highlight cut sounds almost completely independent of Davis’ influence. London Brew is wonderfully eclectic, strange, and beautifully realized. In keeping with its inspiration source, it’s a vanguard electric jazz album, abundant in communication, immediacy, and imagination.
Thom Jurek (AllMusic)
