Selaws
Well-Known Member
Congratulations for guessing this months N&G Album Of The Month, Nerija - Blume.
I have to admit that I found the selection process for this AOTM to be tricky as there are just so many fantastic musicians which deserve to be highlighted. I first became aware of Nerija with the vinyl release of their 2016 self-titled EP. At this point, Nerija was an all-female jazz group that acted as a supergroup made-up of musicians who also perform in other groups including Maisha, Kokoroko and SEED Ensemble. They made headlines with their fantastically inventive music, superb writing, and lively performances. As expected the media tended to focus on their gender and it is true that historically a female presence is often lacking in jazz. However, Nerija rightly proved that gender is not their main driving force with the inclusion of bassist Rio Kai in 2018, just before the recording of Blume. With International Women’s Day just passing, this album (and group) seem all the more relevant and a stunning example of female-led jazz, something which was historically incredibly rare. The music on Blume speaks for itself, with constantly fresh ideas, incredible musical interplay, blinding solos and a collaborative approach to the writing of their compositions. While all of the musicians make fantastic contributions, highlights include Sheila Maurice-Grey’s trumpet solo on ‘Last Straw’ and Nubya Garcia’s work on ‘Blume’, my personal highlight is Shirley Tetteh’s stunning guitar playing throughout.
I could go on writing more but I'm sure you are already sick of reading, so please feel free to check out the links I will share and please support Nerija by buying their stunning album, Blume.
I have to admit that I found the selection process for this AOTM to be tricky as there are just so many fantastic musicians which deserve to be highlighted. I first became aware of Nerija with the vinyl release of their 2016 self-titled EP. At this point, Nerija was an all-female jazz group that acted as a supergroup made-up of musicians who also perform in other groups including Maisha, Kokoroko and SEED Ensemble. They made headlines with their fantastically inventive music, superb writing, and lively performances. As expected the media tended to focus on their gender and it is true that historically a female presence is often lacking in jazz. However, Nerija rightly proved that gender is not their main driving force with the inclusion of bassist Rio Kai in 2018, just before the recording of Blume. With International Women’s Day just passing, this album (and group) seem all the more relevant and a stunning example of female-led jazz, something which was historically incredibly rare. The music on Blume speaks for itself, with constantly fresh ideas, incredible musical interplay, blinding solos and a collaborative approach to the writing of their compositions. While all of the musicians make fantastic contributions, highlights include Sheila Maurice-Grey’s trumpet solo on ‘Last Straw’ and Nubya Garcia’s work on ‘Blume’, my personal highlight is Shirley Tetteh’s stunning guitar playing throughout.
I could go on writing more but I'm sure you are already sick of reading, so please feel free to check out the links I will share and please support Nerija by buying their stunning album, Blume.
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