Dennis Rollins Sextet: Funky-Funk! The Venue@DMU - 11/10/19

I was the youngest guest. Most were between their twenties and seventies. It seemed quite formal, a place to truly appreciate jazz. Rollins was welcomed to the stage and got straight into the 'Funky-Funk'. We moved like puppets to the music, heads nodding and hands tapping.

'Number One' had a groovy deep riff with Rollins playing a cowbell and stick for some percussive texture and James Morton on alto sax taking the spotlight, manipulating melodies and making them his own. Tracy Chapman's 'Fast Car' brought Brazilian bassist, Tiago Ciombra, out of the shadows, to the forefront, giving the audience a break from brass but amusing them with darker tones.

I caught Rollins for a moment outside. He said he had been playing for 40 years, which I agreed showed in his playing. It started with his brother's "cast off" trombone.

Creating a trio (trombone, guitar and bass) with Stevie Wonder's 'Lately', proved a less engaging set, but nonetheless entertaining as background music. 'The Big Chill' as Rollins described as having "sharp-edge chords" creating dissonance. It was that kind of dissonance that you almost dislike but oddly makes sense. Finishing once again with 'Funky-Funk', it even got a man with a walking stick cutting a rug. Jazz, with all its class and culture, can be enjoyed by anyone from any background.

Rating: 8/10

SAM SMITH'S NEW POP-DRIVEN ALBUM IS ON THE WAY

A follow-up to Sam Smith's 2017 album, The Thrill Of It All has been announced to be released in 2020. This album will break away from Smith's line-up of ballads and include more upbeat pop tunes. In an interview with the Zach Sang Show, Smith explained that the upcoming album will feature the recent singles, 'How Do You Sleep?' and 'Dancing With A Stranger'. 

“I feel like I have recently shown a side of me which I normally keep to myself or for my family and friends. I showed everyone it and everyone loved it. It’s almost given me permission to kinda do what I’ve always dreamed of doing but I was always scared to do, which is pop music.”, Smith said.

After a 2018 collaboration with Calvin Harris on 'Promises', Smith was inspired to write new music. “I caught this wind and started riding this wave and I haven’t stopped writing since”, Smith told Sang.

LXANDRA ANNOUNCES NEXT DEBUT EP RELEASE

Finnish sensation Lxandra releases her next debut EP, Another Lesson Learned, on October 25th. "Dip My Heart in Confetti", Lxandra's new single, along with some of her other pop titles such as "Swimming Pools" and "Dig Deep" sneak their way onto the the debut EP also.

Lxandra explains the story behind "Dip My Heart in Confetti", as she states, “It’s about that feeling when you try to force yourself to forget about something or someone, it works for one night maybe, but it’s not really useful in the long run. You just get caught up in a loop and never get completely out of it, your heart never heals. But sometimes it’s simply exactly what you need; dress up, get out, feel good for a moment and dip your heart in confetti.” 

The Berlin-based, the 23-year old had already scored herself a record deal.  A previous encounter with Finnish producer, Perttu Kurtilla back in early 2015 proved impactful on her and her musical career.