– THE QUIET RIOT –

Since winning the Thelonious Monk Competition in 2015, Jazzmeia Horn’s career has been on a trajectory that just goes up and up.

Prophetically named by her Grandmother, “Jazz” released a Grammy-nominated debut album of genre-compliant covers called A Social Call in 2017.

Now she returns with Love and Liberation; a 12-track album featuring eight originals.

However, it is her cover of Erykah Badu’s Green Eyes that has been garnering all the early attention.

A graduate of the same High School for Performing and Visual Art as Badu (as well as the late, great trumpeter Roy Hargrove and Norah Jones) this is a track that Horn, no doubt, knows inside out.

Despite – or perhaps because – of that, her version is barely recognisable. Given extra swing by Horn’s exquisite backing band it’s a million miles away from the envy-wrought requiem of the original.

Jamison Ross’ drums are tastefully busy throughout while Victor Gould’s piano liberally splashes colour across the canvas.

None of which should distract, of course, from Horn’s own predictably precocious performance. It feels almost superfluous, at this point, to point out just how good a singer she is but only because she delivers time and time again.

Love and Liberation is out now via Concord Jazz.

MORE FROM THIS WEEK’S MIX

NAILAH BLACKMAN: SWEET AND LOCO
BATTLES: TITANIUM 2 STEP
GRUFF RHYS: PANG!
OSCAR JEROME: GRAVITATE

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 –