Chip Wickham - Shamal Wind - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Chip Wickham returns with his most absorbing and cosmically-charged offering to date. Soaring flute melodies, rich harp arpeggios and glistening Rhodes keys interact across six journeying, spiritual jazz compositions leaning on a rich palette of sounds beyond borders, space and time. Channeling the spirit of Alice Coltrane and Yusef Lateef via the lens of a hip-hop, electronic and club music educated ear, Blue to Red encompasses Wickham's disparate set of production influences with his Manchester and spiritual jazz education. Recorded, produced and mixed by himself, Wickham's meticulous approach to production and unswerving ambition led him to a phenomenal group of musicians across the UK's thriving jazz scene, including Sons of Kemet and Mulatu Astatke drummer, Jon Scott, Fingathing head honcho, Simon 'Sneaky' Houghton (double bass/cello) and Nightmares On Wax affiliate Dan 'JD 73' Goldman (keys). Making up the lineup is Gondwana Orchestra alumni Amanda Whiting, whose celestial and mystical harp playing is a particularly prominent and enchanting feature of the record. Album Tracks 1. Blue to Red 2. Route One 3. Interstellar 4. The Cosmos 5. Double Cross 6. Mighty Yusef

Saxophonist, flautist and producer Chip Wickham casts a formidable shadow across the worldwide jazz landscape. Originally from Brighton, but now dividing his time between the UK, Spain and the Middle-East, he has made a name for himself with a series of beautifully crafted solo albums that draw equally on the hard swinging spiritual jazz of Roland Kirk, Yusef Lateef and Sahih Shihab, alongside the music of British jazz legends such as Tubby Hayes and Harold McNair and the more contemporary sounds of Jazzanova, Kyoto Jazz Massive and Robert Glasper. His close working relationship with Matthew Halsall's Gondwana Records has spanned close to two decades (since he played on Halsall's 2008 debut 'Sending My Love') and has since released three standout releases on the tag (the 'Cloud 10' LP, and the 'Astral Travelling' and 'Love & Life' EP's). Once again returning to the heralded tag, he now prepares to his elegant fifth studio album 'The Eternal Now'. Further exploring his penchant for hard-hitting soulful, spiritual jazz and modal hard-bop, it denotes an exciting new chapter in his much- revered discography, once which sees his unbridled artist flourish into new and fruitful pastures. Album Tracks 1. Drifting 2. Nara Black 3. The Eternal Now 4. Lost Souls 5. No Turning Back 6. The Road Less Travelled 7. Falling Deep 8. Ikigai 9. Outside

Album Tracks 1. Before Sunrise 2. Morning Breeze 3. Flying Horses 4. Padre 5. Birds of Dawn 6. Virgen de la Nieve 7. Eastern Princess 8. Crossing Dark Rivers