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It seemed for a while that nearly all the jazz I loved was over half a century old. While not a problem in itself, I did feel a nagging dissatisfaction at not finding much of anything newer that floated my boat. The proliferation of newly-popular 'nu-jazz' and jazz-adjacent releases from the middle of the last decade was timely for me, and while I've plenty more still to explore, I've already found much to enjoy in this newer music. Nubya Garcia's debut album Source is a case in point.


The title track is particularly appealing, with its jazz-flavoured solos built upon dub-like foundations, and further embellished by vocal harmonies. Among my other favourites on the album are the two where Garcia's saxophone is complemented only by percussion and voices: 'Stand With Each Other' and 'La Cumbia Me Está Llamando'. Despite their relative sparsity, in both tracks the available space is filled with admirable economy, and with impeccable timing.

Other tracks are busier & denser, but none outstay their welcome, with Garcia, her band & guests all combining to great effect. One has to worry what damage the pandemic is doing to the careers & livelihoods of musicians like these: I hope this album is only a beginning and that there are even better things yet to come from them.

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