IMANI - "Just Another Love Song"

Not surprised to find this on Bandcamp's Album of the Day page. The lead-off track to Out Of The Blue, a holy grail record from early 80s San Fran, the song belies the title. Portugal's Mad About Records are responsible for the re-issue and making this available for significantly less than the original 500 copies are going for.

Yazmin Lacey - "90 Degrees"

I posted about UK soul-singer Lacey last summer around the time of her Black Moon EP and I've written about many a release from First Word Records over the past five years. So I was beyond stoked to get a message from both Lacey and the label in my inbox today announcing the forthcoming - THIS FRIDAY - release of a new single and the fact that Lacey is now on the roster.

"90 Degrees" begins with a snapping snare drum and a walking bass line after which Lacey glides in and just OWNS the microphone. I WISH she blew up big when the Black Moon EP dropped, but maybe on the heels of playing Gilles Peterson's Worldwide Awards and with this single more people are going to feel her heat.

Joe Armon-Jones & Maxwell Owin - Idiom

Gilles Peterson is in NYC right now for a Winter jazz fest and did a special ep. of Brownswood Basement spotlighting UK jazz where he brought in a bunch of folks including Yazz Ahmed (who was responsible for one of my Top 10 albums of last year). But one name he featured that was unfamiliar to me was Joe Armon-Jones.

Did a little dig and discovered this release from last fall with Maxwell Owin and it is a tight mix of jazz and beats. "Idiom" featuring Oscar Jerome is a particular stunner.

Philip Owusu - "Goodnight"

Goodnight, and good cut.