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Matthew Ruddick

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Author of Funny Valentine, an acclaimed new biography of the jazz trumpet player and singer, Chet Baker.
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Monday, 10 July 2017 16:58

Miles Mosley – Uprising

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Kamasi Washington and Kendrick Lamar sideman impresses on his solo debut.

This is singer and bass player Miles Mosley's first solo album following the success of Abraham and Young Lion in 2016. Mosley has a list of credits to his name and one could say this prodigy has made it his business to disrupt the modern jazz scene. He skilfully combines his love for classical music and jazz to deliver a polished jazz-rock-classical arrangement. The tracks are powerful from the off-set and Mosley does not fail to deliver.

Young Lion is a great song to launch the album. I am feeling the Lenny Kravitz-like vocals and Miles' short burst of rapping delivers an abundance of originality and adrenaline. This tune can only contribute to the commercial success of this artist. My expectations have been set to 'High'.

Abraham has all the grandeur of the big orchestra and a powerful horn section. The vocals are well thought out in this short story which is carefully balanced with a memorable piano hook. 

Mosley continues to impress with L.A. Won't Bring You Down and More Than This. The crystal clear ballad intros are accentuated by this big sounding orchestra. This makes for an interesting contrast to the chorus, providing a well thought out balance to this exciting track. The performance is one I would like to see live.

Not only does Mosley continue to provide original and thoughtful lyrics in Heartbreaking Efforts of Others, but he also delivers a smooth, yet strong bass. The stamina of this talented musician and vocalist combined with his arrangement skills must surely be in the top 10% of debuted artists for 2017.

Shadow Of Doubt will be a commercial success as it will appeal mainstream radio with its up-tempo funky rhythm. The musical structure is one that all listeners will be familiar with including the ‘hand-clapping' chorus. You can't help but put your hands in the air and clap-along. This is my drive-time track.

 The original worded lyrics delivered in Reap A Soul intertwined with short punchy choruses are sung with emotion. The orchestral accompaniment is rich and dynamic which is a testament to their skills. 

Mosley continues to showcase his vocal talent with Sky High, which is clear and articulate. The musical structure and arrangement is not to dissimilar to music scored for a big screen movie. I would not be surprised if this was Mosley's next move. The lyrics purposefully contrast from smooth to gritty which is well accomplished. 

The verse is adrenaline fuelled from the first bar in Your Only Cover. This soft rock track has a solid tempo with a big orchestral presence. The lyrics are clear and original and will definitely appeal to a wider commercial market.

Tuning Out leads with a ethereal upright synthesised bass, transitioning to the smooth orchestral build-up. This is a powerful ballad. The lyrical hook is simple, melodic with meaningful thoughts. Mosley sings as if it is his last performance which is truly outstanding. 

Fire is a fresh and powerful song. Miles has managed to combine a number of different music genres in this track and the arrangement is rich. His vocals emanate clarity and originality. 

 

Style: Jazz, R & B, Soul, Rock, Fusion

 

Musicians:

Miles Mosley - Vocals, Bass, Upright Bass

Cameron Graves -  Grand Piano

Chris Votek, Peter Jacobson - Cello

Erin Athey, Maiya Sykes, Nia Andrews, Patrice Quin, Sonnet Simmons, Steve Pando, Taylor Graves -  Choir

Brando Coleman - Keyboards

Kamasi Wahington, Zane Musa -  Tenor Saxophone

Ryan Porter -  Trombone

Christopher Gray, Dante Winslow -  Trumpet

Mile Whitson -  Viola

Leah Zeger, Ryan Suen - Violin

 

Label: World Galaxy Records (WG-003)

Read 2190 times Last modified on Monday, 25 September 2017 17:11

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