KOKOROKO - "Carry Me Home"

So Brownswood just dropped a new track from KOKOROKO (previously featured here) who were inspired by Dele Sosimi to write "Carry Me Home." Sosimi was the subject of a post here on RR back in 2015. With both Sosimi and KOKOROKO on the RR radar, hopefully they're on yours as well and you enjoy this joyful track that features a bubbling bass-line, warm vocals and exuberant horns.

Joe Armon-Jones "Icy Roads (Stacked)"

I've been touting UK jazz for a while now and singing the praise of key player Joe Armon-Jones for some time as well. So it should be no surprise that the A-side to his new 10" ends up on here.

Particularly when he enlists the talents of bassist Mutali Chashi of KOKOROKO, who provides such a wide-tire firm-grip bassline for Armon-Jones to drive these icy roads on.

As the info on the Bandcamp page notes, the release has " killer artwork nodding to Thrust-era Herbie Hancock" so you have a good sense of what this sounds like before you ever press play. This is some funky soulful jazz right here. Very curious to hear the B-side "Aquarius" when the physical drops at the end of June.

KOKOROKO - "Ti-de"

Not to be confused with KOKOKO!,- though both acts share a connection to Afrobeat -  KOKOROKO is a London UK septet that just dropped their self-titled album on March 8th and while it is likewise fire, it's more of a smouldering fire. "Ti-de" the track I've linked to is a languid affair that builds from a solo bass line and starts layering elements including Oscar Jerome's guitar line (that totally has me thinking Tuareg tunes) and a trio of horns.