Eastside’s Album of the Week show this week features jazz sextet ARTEMIS’ debut album, as well as a new vocal direction for Texas trio Khruangbin in Mordechai.
ARTEMIS is a supergroup comprising seven of the most acclaimed musicians in modern jazz. Featuring pianist and musical director Renee Rosnes, tenor saxophonist Melissa Aldana, clarinetist Anat Cohen, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, bassist Noriko Ueda, drummer Allison Miller, and featured vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant. Standout track Cry Buttercup Cry features the velvet vocals of Cécile alongside the cultivated chaos of Renee Rosnes’ keys. A groundbreaking debut from the internationally amalgamated jazz supergroup.
Khruangbin are no strangers to bending genre, with previous albums taking inspiration from Thai Funk and Middle Eastern instrumental. Mordechai is the first album by the trio to heavily feature vocals, with all three band members lending themselves to the new layer of sound. The album, released late May, leans heavily on the band’s historically psych-funk sensibilities while implanting fresh, world-inspired bass into this new compilation. The vocals on Mordechai explore Khruangbin’s ability to carve their own path, rather than recreating genres from across the globe. Poolside funk in the form of the track Time (You & I), and laid-back disco on So We Won’t Forget are standout tracks on this unmistakably career-shifting album.
Listen to the show here, and tune in to the new showtime of Wednesdays 3-4pm to hear Album of the Week with Bec Cushway.