Photo Credit: Alessandro Favero
In a lush, gorgeous love letter to the home of some of the best UK jazz in the past few years, Monterey J has released his anticipated new project, Welcome To South London. With sporadic glimpses into neo-soul and hip-hop, but with musicianship, improvisation and groove at the centre, it builds on the jazz sounds it praises, whilst reflecting the broader, community-rooted elements.
In amongst this, it also feels like a very personal project for Monterey J himself, reflecting an artist’s evolution and burrowing into the foundations of his creativity. The saxophonist collaborates by enlisting a talented network of musicians and vocalists to help bring this record to life. Through this, each rhythm is the beating heart of the scene from the people in and around it who know it best.
In his own words, “This project tells the story of my personal experience in the creative community of South London. After producing and recording my previous album almost exclusively on my own, I decided to experiment with the process of collaboration, treating these songs as if they were a story told by a multitude of different voices. In my experience, South London is a place of great artistic freedom with a touch of healthy competitiveness and I really wanted to share my journey through music showing both the highs and the lows of navigating through an exciting time of my life in the city.”
Silky, sultry and sharp, the production is completed by Grammy-nominated Teo Marangon, whose work with Keyon Harrold makes his qualifications essential to blend finesse and freedom across six tracks. The finished piece is a product of the very thing it describes, in itself representing the constant rolling introspection that has innovated so much UK music in this scene.
Check it out for yourself here…
