The second Jazz re:freshed installment comes from über talented multi-instrumentalist Kaidi Tatham, member of West London’s broken beats, nu-jazz, soul collective Bugz in the Attic. Kaidi’s 5ive is five tracks of wonderful. The compositions are delicious, whetting your appetite for more. His use of jazz, funk, afrobeats and soul, and the way he uses various musical instruments to fill each track is truly amazing to listen to. With each listen, you ear a different element that’s equally as fascinating as the first listen. You will love Kaidi’s 5ive. If you haven’t checked out Kaidi‘s debut album, In Search of Hope, which came out in 2009, I suggest you get a copy pronto! Kaidi Tatham reminds us just how special Bugz in the Attic were as a collective. Wish they were actively making music together and bringing more amazing underground artists to the forefront. In the meantime, check out “Don’t Hide Your Love” below, then head over to the Jazz:refreshed Bandcamp page to get yourself a copy.

It felt like an eternity waiting for the sophomore release from Silhouette Brown. And boy, was it worth the wait! Silhouette Brown is the musical masterminds of Kaidi Tatham (Agent K, Bugz In the Attic), Dego (2000 Black/4Hero, DKD), co-writer and producer Bembe Segue, and silky soul Philadelphia-native singer, Lady Alma (known largely for her work on 4Hero‘s “Hold it Down”, Soul Dhamma‘s “Happy” and Sylk 130‘s “When the Funk Hits the Fan,” to name countless club classics she’s sang on over the years).

The album two brings us the first full recording from Lady Alma, displaying her vocal versatility where the warmth of her voice shines through on every note; the production on two seems created just for her. Just beautiful.  two has a more soulful appeal than the debut Silhouette Brown release, however, the arrangements still contain the future soul sounds we expect to hear from Dego and Kaidi, with funk inspired basslines, scatting keyboards, and thumping drums, still ever present. Clever songwriting in care of Lady Alma and Bembe Segue and Dego, and the pleasant surprise of Sadat X appearing on “Get With It,” two is timed perfectly to turn up the heat on your cold nights. Not sure why Deborah Jordan doesn’t appear on the album, but with Lady Alma as the replacement — we’re more than cool de la with the union.

Listen to a couple of songs below and let me know what you think of Silhouette Brown‘s return. two can be purchased at 2000 Black‘s website. So get it!

“Casualties of Honey”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

“Strawberries in Vinegar”

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.