– GUERRILLA WARFARE –

If you don’t already know bass player Daniel Casimir, you do. The man has leant his upright artistry to music by the likes of Lonnie Liston Smith, Chihiro Yamanaka, Nubya Garcia and Art Blakey Jazz Messenger saxophonist, Jean Toussaint to name just a select few.

If you still don’t already know bass player Daniel Casimir, you should be aware that all your favourite future jazz friends do; his 2017 EP, Escapee (EPK video below) featured the talents of Moses Boyd, Joe Armon-Jones and Shirley Tetteh.

Now – together with his fourth co-conspirator from that release, vocalist Tess Hirst – he’s set to release a new album ‘These Days’ later this year. ‘Security’ is the duo’s blistering first single from it.

So, in short, if you don’t already know Daniel Casimir, you soon will.

Equal parts jazz, neo-soul and drum‘n’bass, ‘Security’ sees Robert Mitchell’s keys, Tobie Carpenter’s guitars and Olly Sarkar’s drums bounce off each other in a fizzy, frenetic blur of genial, genre-defying brilliance.

However, the starring role goes to Hirst, whose lyrics paint a picture of London not often mentioned when the city is oft-discussed as the burgeoning capital of the nu-jazz world.

“Our lives are not something they can own” she sings in the chorus.

Elaborating in the press release, Hirst adds “‘Security’ highlights the essential need to trust other people. That our safety lies in the hearts of those around us… London has a record number of security cameras; this track is a comment on the type of security we commission as a society as well as how we protect ourselves personally.”

‘These Days’ will be released on 1 November via pioneering London-based record label, jazz re:freshed.

MORE FROM THIS WEEK’S MIX

SAULT: SMILE AND GO
EARTHGANG: BLUE MOON
KEATON HENSON: INITIUM
PENGUIN CAFÉ: CHAPTER

P.S. You can find all of the tracks reviewed above in the 45 Revolutions per Minute playlist below or click to access the 45 RPM Playlist on Spotify itself.

If you like what you hear (or even if you don’t), please engage in dialogue with me @45rpm_Reviews on Twitter. And, if you’d like to receive updates weekly, please subscribe to the email list to get these recommendations sent to your inbox weekly.

– SV –