Gina Is Back – Moonchild On Heavy Rotation
I know it’s been a while since my last post – thankfully, summer has been pretty busy at our little summer hideaway beer garden which will see some live music performances in 2018. We’re currently working on that. Meanwhile, a lot of mediocre and a few outstanding new discs have landed on our desk – we can’t get enough of Moonchild‘s new album “Voyager” which is so good that I just recently ordered a vinyl copy of it.
Moonchild, the Los Angeles-based trio of Amber Navran, Max Bryk, and Andris Mattson, have come up with a classy mixture of neo-soul and jazz that is truly unique. The guitar intro of “Cure” and the subsequent warm keyboard sounds and Amber’s voice remind me of the best that Jill Scott has released so far. The backing vocals also sound sublime. There are some ethereal sounds on “6am” where Amber actually phrases a bit like Michael Franks. It’s all so amazingly relaxed and gets a bit funkier on “Every Part (For Linda)”, but still in a pretty subdued mood. Pop elements abound on “Hideaway” and “The List” oozes soul and funkiness that is just outstanding.
The neo-soul/jazz imprint is pretty clear and powerful on “Run Away”. Ever since “Be Free”, the title track of their debut album from 2012, the group has been on my radar and with “Voyager”, they have come up with their masterpiece. Amber’s out-of-this-world voice graces each and every track and on “Now And Then”, just shines through the roof and beyond. Some of the keyboard sounds on the intro of “Change Your Mind” remind me of another brilliant LA-based musician, the one and only Gary Taylor. Tracks like “Show The Way” are destined to become future classics and have not abandoned our ears ever since the record came out a few months ago. It’s heaven sent. If you haven’t already checked the album out, make sure to get it on vinyl – the sound is supreme. And please do yourself a favor and make way for one of their upcoming performances in Europe. I know this sounds like a promotion coup for the record and the group, but it really is that good.
09/23 Tokyo – Blue Note Jazz Festival
09/25 Tokyo – Cotton Club
09/26 Tokyo – Cotton Club
10/03 Berlin – Kantine am Berghain
10/04 Rotterdam – Bird
10/06 Cologne – Clubbahnhof Ehrenfeld
10/07 Zurich – Moods
10/08 Paris – La Maroquinerie
10/10 Manchester – Band On The Wall
10/11 Glasgow – ABC 2
10/12 London – Jazz Café
10/13 Amsterdam – Paradiso
10/14 Sint-Oedenrode – Mondrian Jazz
