Black Focus
Label : Brownswood Recordings
Catalogue No: BWOOD157LP
["Black Focus\nStrings Of Light\nRemembrance\nYo Chavez\nAyla\nO.G.\nLowrider\nMansur's Message\nWing Tai Drums\nJoint 17"]
Media Condition : Mint (M)
Sleeve Condition : Mint (M)
Brownswood Recordings has high hopes for this debut album from the previously unheralded Yussef Kamaal, which brings together hyped producer Kamaal Williams (AKA Henry Wu) and fast-rising Afrobeat drummer Yussef Dayes. With such talent to draw on, you'd expect Black Focus to be rather good. Happily, it is, with the duo delivering a typically London-centric take on jazz funk. That means that they take as much inspiration from the work of Kaidi Tatham as, say, Herbie Hancock. The key to the album's success - and, yes, it is generally as special as Gilles Peterson suggests - is the fluid combination of Dayes' brilliant drumming and Williams' superb synth solos and effortlessly groovy Rhodes playing.
