SOUL UNLIMITED Radioshow 562

Framed by a classic at the beginning and at the end of the show, this Soul Unlimited episode features a number of extremely interesting contemporary jazz releases.
The first highlight is the new, fourth album by the Australian band Menagerie, which is led by guitarist Lance Ferguson. He is best known for the funk & soul band The Bamboos and is also active in several other band projects. The new album “The Shores Of Infinity” offers more groove-oriented sounds than the previous albums, which makes the album work very well overall. In my opinion it is the band's best album to date.
The songs that the Balimaya Project presents on its second album “When The Dust Settles” are also quite exciting. An impressive fusion of jazz sounds with West African roots from Nigeria to Mali.
Nicola Conte’s new album “Umoja” is also very interesting. The DJ, guitarist and producer is a profound jazz connoisseur and this knowledge also flows into the music of the new album, which he composed together with guitarist Alberto Parmegiani. The stylistic spectrum ranges from Afro and Latin jazz to spiritual jazz and club-oriented dance floor jazz. The list of musicians involved is impressive, including Timo Lassy, ​​Teppo Mäkinnen and Pietro Lusso.
Then it continues with a local talent who is at the beginning of a promising career as a saxophonist: Jakob Manz has presented his best work to date with his current album “Groove Connection”. Varied, soulful and groovy! It will be interesting to see what else will come from the young man in the future.
Experimental jazz sounds can be found on the new album “Soniqs” by singer Celine Rudolph, who works with Sebastian Merk and Sebastian Studnitzky on Soniqs. The collective not only uses their traditional instruments, but also complements this with a variety of digital and electronic sounds. The result is extremely well done and I find it very exciting!
The musical highlight and therefore the record of the week is the new album “Ulaan” by the Mongolian singer Enji Erkhem. She fuses folklore from Mongolia with current experimental jazz sounds. The result is very personal, fragile songs of incredible beauty. She is accompanied, among others, by Paul Brändle on guitar, known from the band Fazer. Enji co-wrote eight of the ten songs on this overall great album.
Hania Rani's album "On Giacometti" was released in February, but the limited vinyl pressing sold out immediately. So I had to wait until August for the re-pressing. The album contains songs that Hania Rani composed for the soundtrack of the film “I Giacometti” by the Swiss director Susanna Fanzun. The compositions are based on improvised melodies, simple harmonies and structures inspired by the silence of the mountains. As always with Hania Rani, this sounds beautiful.
The pianist Hanakiv, who comes from Estonia and currently lives in London, is launching her debut album “Goodbyes”, which also harmonizes very well with the sound of Hania Rani. Also a very nice album.
The Swiss drummer Florian Arbenz has gathered musicians who live in Switzerland around him on his new album “Conversation #10 – Domestic”. The idea with this combination was to create a varied album that takes the listener on a journey into different moods and sound worlds. A very well done album, in my opinion. Have fun listening!

Playlist | SOUL UNLIMITED Radioshow 562

Roy Ayers / Liquid Love / BBE (LP-Track: Virgin Ubiquity II)
Menagerie / Kingdom / Freestyle (LP-track: The Shores Of Infinity)
Menagerie / Arrival / Freestyle (LP-track: The Shores Of Infinity)
Balimaya Project / Seasons Of Baraka / New Soil (LP-track: When The Dust Settles)
Balimaya Project / When The Dust Settles / New Soil (LP-track: When The Dust Settles)
Nicola Conte / Freedom & Progress / Far Out (LP-track: Umoja)
Nicola Conte / Into The Light Of Love / Far Out (LP-track: Umoja)
Jakob Manz / Groove Connection / Act (LP-track: Groove Connection)
Jakob Manz / Jazz Is A Spirit / Act (LP-track: Groove Connection)
Celine Rudolph / Footprints / Obsessions (LP-track: Soniqs)
Celine Rudolph / Seven Butterflies / Obsessions (LP-track: Soniqs)
Enji / Taivshral / Squama (LP-track: Ulaan)
Enji / Picture / Three Shadows / Squama (LP-track: Ulaan)
Hania Rani / Stampa / Gondwana (LP-track: On Giacometti)
Hania Rani / Dreamy / Gondwana (LP-track: On Giacometti)
Hanakiv / Goodbye / Gondwana (LP-track: Goodbyes)
Hanakiv / No Words Left / Gondwana (LP-track: Goodbyes)
Florian Arbenz / Moon Song / Hammer (LP-track: Conversation #10 – Inland)
Florian Arbenz / Freedom Jazz Dance / Hammer (LP-track: Conversation #10 – Inland)
Eddie Harris / Freedom Jazz Dance / Pure Pleasure (LP-track: The In Sound)