Don Glori – “Paper Can’t Wrap Fire”
Melbourne-born and London based multi-instrumentalist, songwriter and producer Gordon Li, better known as Don Glori, has just released his third LP after “Welcome” (2022) and “Don’t Forget To Have Fun” (2024). “Paper Can’t Wrap Fire” is his first for Mr. Bongo Records. His brilliant mix of Fusion Jazz à la George Duke, Brazilian music, and soulful House nears perfection on his new album. The album title is an old Chinese proverb and means something like “don’t deny the truth”. The album opener “Disaster” lives off grandiose group vocals and an ultra languid groove with some fancy electric keyboards and cool handclaps thrown in. The sort of track you want to go back to over and over again.
His team mates on the album are Tim Cox, Al Kennedy, Joel Trigg, Robyn Cummins and Lachlan Thompson. On three tracks, we get to hear the glorious vocals of ML Hall, like on the brilliant “Brown Eyes”. Do we hear some mid 70s Mizell Brothers? The production work is superb throughout. The track boasts with so many different layers that are very hard to resist. Wonderful stuff. On “Flicker”, ML Hall is joined by singer Bianca Kyriacou. Hall sounds a lot like Tom Misch on this midtempo monster which also has Audrey Powne on trumpet and, again, very appealing keyboard work. Also reminds me of some of the best songs by Jarrod Lawson. Another highly enjoyable piece. “Janet”, co-written by ML Hall, is a perfect midtempo soul swayer with really nonchalant vocals by Hall.
Things turn more into jazz on the ensuing quasi-instrumentals, like “Song For Ants” which has some stellar saxophone play by Lachlan Thompson. The mystical group vocals are there again on the very 70s fusion-styled “Power” which perfectly combines Roy Ayers, George Duke, and Lonnie Liston Smith with Donald Byrd. Really dig the Rhodes solo here. We also get some Brazilian grooves like on the sunny and shuffling “Precious” which turns into a veritable jazz jam later. Alcides Neto can be heard playing the cuica on “Ron’s Song” which reminds me of the mid-to late 70s Azymuth period. The album closes on a somewhat reconciling note with the percussive, shuffling beat of “Saturn’s Return”. Out on vinyl!
