Filter
Heavenly Sweetness
Browse the latest digital releases on Heavenly Sweetness
Played by: Juno Recommends Broken Beat Nu Jazz
Played by: Juno Recommends Funk
Played by: Secret Soul Society
Various
Aldo Romano, Louis Sclavis & Henri Texier - "Soweto Sorrow" (live At Jazz A Vienne, 2000) - (4:01) 99 BPM
Review: The Jazz A Vienne festival has been drawing jazz lovers to southeastern France every year since 1981, and now they mark their Covid-delayed 40th anniversary with a 14-track compilation featuring a blend of brand new material and classic live recordings from the festival itself - "hard bop, pure jazz classicism and hip-hop urgency united in a single breath," is how they put it. It's one of the vintage nuggets - The Milt Jackson & Hank Jones All-Star Quartet's 1997 recording of 'Delilah' - that provides the album's standout cut for yours truly, but with the likes of Lalo Schiffrin and Gilberto Gil nestling up alongside a host of younger artists, jazzbos of a more tradtional (but definitely not 'trad') mindset will find much to enjoy here.
Played by: Craig Charles Funk And Soul
Played by: Juno Recommends Funky House
Played by: Juno Recommends Broken Beat Nu Jazz
Played by: Juno Recommends Funk
Played by: Juno Recommends Broken Beat Nu Jazz
Various
The John Betsch Society - "Earth Blossom" (feat Build An Ark - Loving Heart Collage by Carlos Nino - remix) - (4:05) 95 BPM
Played by: Juno Recommends Electro
Review: Deep on that French spiritual jazz tip, Heavenly Sweetness look to the saxxy sounds of Laurent Bardainne in tandem with the 808 beats, electro-synth and Versatile Records repute of one Etienne Jaumet. The result? Bardainne Jaumet - an EP bringing together the fandangledness of French fusion jazz with weirdo, improvisational synth, and a touch of Middle Eastern motifs and flair. For your more functional dancefloor numbers look to "Le Vaisseau Oublie" and "Blurry Neon" with overt freeform sessions coming through "Le Sacre De La Lumiere" and "Vapeur De Mercure". If you're a fan of groups like Space to obscure French cinema like La Planete Sauvage - this is for you.
Various
Played by: Mr Doris
Played by: Mr Doris
Played by: Juno Recommends Broken Beat Nu Jazz
Played by: Juno Recommends Experimental
Review: In what could be seen by some as a slightly bizarre turn of events; DJ Deep and Romain Poncet's harder edged EBM project Sergie Rezza surfaces on Heavenly Sweetness - a label outta Paris known for its taste in spiritual jazz, world music and contemporary reissues. For others though, it makes complete sense. Deep and Poncet have just come off remixing the Parisian jazz-funk ensemble Cotonete individually, who in duality give "Layla" a 'hell'l and 'heaven' of a time. Lifted from Cotonete's Super-Vilians album (2019) Sergie Rezza delve into their hardcore style of electronic drums and basslines with a gnarly, acid-biting rework in the 'In Hell' version, with a percussive and equally effective alternative hit in the 'In Hell No Kick' mix. Find an ethereal, ambient cutting room floor bonus version in Rezz'a 'Heaven' mix. Heavenly hotness.
Played by: 4 Da People
Review: If you like your deep house drenched in soul and leaning towards the Afro side of things then brother (or sister), you've come to the right place. Vocalist, guitarist, DJ and producer David Walters is a Marseilles native of Afro-Caribbean extraction who's supported the likes of Jamiroquai, Morcheeba and Les N?gresses Vertes, and the wistful, trumpet- and piano-sprinkled 'Krye Mwen' is surely destined for anthem status on the South African scene. Aroop Roy and Patchworks serve up remixes that lean in slightly tuffer/housier and more lavish nu-disco directions, respectively, while the final mix is a tribal/percussive rub from Walters himself.
Played by: Juno Recommends Experimental
Review: For a slice of Heavenly Sweetness from arguably the best alt-contemporary jazz and spiritual label out there, may we reintroduce the sounds of four piece Laurent Bardainne & Tigre D'eau Douce! Having debuted last year with the four track Marvin EP, the group goes large with the Love Is Everywhere album taking in the freshest sounds of brass horns, percussion and free-lacin' cool jazz with all matter of rhodes, cowbells, drums and funkadelic basslines. For subtle disco vibrations look to "Bachibouzouk" alongside freer jazz compositions like "Cabane" and "Apaches". Recorded at ICP studios in Brussels the ensemble looks to ragtime in "Kinshasa" while keeping it mellow and subdued in "Everlasting Child" and spy movie themed in "Song Dong Hee".
Played by: Juno Recommends Deep House
Review: French eight-piece Cotonete, a cult 00s phenomenon who reformed three years ago, serve up a second EP featuring remixes of tracks from their 2019 long-player 'Super-Villains'. Up first are two takes on 'Layla' (nothing to do with the Derek & The Dominoes rock classic): Alex Attias's pass is a summery, lounge-y affair, while DJ Deep & Romain Poncet's Dub reinvents the track in actual, proper dub style. The EP's then completed by the Alex Notal Remix of 'Last Drink', an unhurried shuffler that sits somewhere between funk, house and lounge. The perfect soundtrack for a summer BBQ, even if it is on Zoom!
Played by: Craig Charles Funk And Soul
Played by: Juno Recommends Funk
Review: Laurent Bardainne is a French saxophonist who's played in the bands Poni Hoax, Limousine and Lost. Last year his new combo Tigre D'Eau Douce made their debut at a European jazz festival, and how here are the first recorded fruits of their labours. Deep funk meets smooth jazz would be the overall idea, with Bardainne's sax naturally taking centre stage. Jazzbos should head for 'Aot' and 'Marvin' itself, 'Porsche 944' is the pick for the funkateers, while the Vibe Drops Remix of the latter caters for the b-boys and b-girls with an added rap vocal.
Review: Spain's Fabrice Henri, AKA Guts, returns to French label Heavenly Sweetness with a seven-track EP showcasing his trademark blend of world music, jazz, electronic and hip-hop influences. The title track is a sprightly Afro-funk jam that gets a light-touch house makeover on the Poirier Remix, while a rawer funk sound characterises 'L'Origine Du Monde'. Latin/Afro house vibes are the order of the day on the two rubs of 'Mucagiami', 'Corner' is a straight-up Afro workout, while last but by no means least there's 'Nou Menm', a jazzy funk/soul cut with Afro percussion and a spoken, French-language male vocal.
Played by: Craig Charles Funk And Soul, Flash Atkins, Juno Recommends Funk, Quincy Jointz, LEGO EDIT
Review: Parisian producer GUTS has covered a lot of musical ground over the past decade, from hip-hop to Afro-disco and space jazz, but most recently he's been working with a coterie of top-flight world music players and producers including Cyril Atef and Ben Abarbanel-Wolff. Together they've been touring extensively as a quintet, but they've also found time to record this album, which they describe as "flitting between Brazil, Africa and the Caribbean". The likes of Gilles Peterson or Mr Scruff will no doubt be in raptures, but even if you're not normally a great lover of world music there are still some gems to discover - see fast 'n' furious slap bass workout 'Matadou' for starters.
Played by: Juno Recommends Broken Beat Nu Jazz
Review: Where to start with this one? On their first album proper (not counting a collaborative effort with Simone Mazzer in 2017), French duo Cotonete push jazz-fusion in directions that would have progenitors like Stanley Clarke, Weather Report or Morrissey-Mullen shaking their heads in wonder. With tracks ranging from the languid melancholy of 'Layla' and 'Super-Vilain' to the scorching jazz-funk of 'Last Drink', and from the more traditional jazz stylings of 'Escola Frances Dos Tubaroes' to the Afro-inspired 'Guarani Kaiowa', Super-Vilains is just dripping in invention and musicianship, and likely to find fans right across the jazz community.
