Blue Note’s “Transmissions from Total Refreshment Centre” is a fun, varied compilation that features groups associated with London’s Total Refreshment Centre, a music venue and recording studio. Even with my own very limited perspective of the London jazz scene—based solely on things I’ve read in reviews and on message boards—I know there’s a lot happening there right now, and this compilation offers a great look at some of the artists and groups that are moving things forward and making connections.
First off, for being a compilation, the whole thing feels as cohesive as an album. There’s not a lot of whiplash from track to track, which is a testament to the vibe of the tracks here and the sequencing. There’s a mix of instrumental tracks and tracks that feature guest vocalists, and it has the shape of a lively, restless album. Soccer96—a duo—lead off the compilation with “Visions, feat. Kieron Boothe,” which has the high-energy jazz-and-hip-hop feel of some of the tracks on Kendrick Lamar’s “untitled unmastered” for example. Boothe fits in with Soccer96’s groove so well, matching the tone of his flow perfectly as the track shifts.
Byron Wallen brings some beautiful strings and horns to “Closed Circle.” Strings, bass riff, then a launch into horns. A minute in, the trumpet starts off. Strong string riff, with the horns coming into dialogue. Saxophone at the midway point taking a pretty raucous solo. At the four-minute mark, the strings take over for a bit and change things up—the song launches into another gear and Wallen rips off a ferocious trumpet solo. The track closes with 30 seconds of gorgeous strings.
Jake Long’s “Crescent (City Swamp Dub)” is one of my favorites on the album. A jazz tune poured into a dub form, it feels a little like a Morphine song stretched out like taffy. A solid third of the song is straight-up groove until the main guitar riff enters, backed by the menacing blare of a sax. It’s all a languid tumble, a little like some of the spacier instrumental passages from Darkside’s albums.
Matters Unknown’s “Eloquence, feat. Miryam Solomon” is an easy-going song and the prettiest and probably catchiest tune on the album. It’s airy and upbeat, beautiful piano, and that voice from Solomon is so striking. Her vocals color the entire track, whether she’s singing the main lyrics, “What you say/please lend me your hand/understand all that I am,” or adding some texture to the background. The bass on this stands out in the track’s quieter moments and the song closes with some almost “Dindi”-esque percussion.
“Isa feat. Noah Slee” from Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange launches with incredible electric piano playing and gets into a funkier, dancier mode than any of the other tracks on the compilation. Halfway through the percussion assumes control of the track and erupts. The second half of the track sees the band working in a wonderful groove.
Neue Grafik’s “Black feat. Brother Portrait” is a compelling blend of jazz and hip-hop—like the Soccer96 track. The song starts with bass and big beats, then Brother Portrait enters with verses that explore nodes of connection around Blackness and the color black, saying, “Son of a Black father and a Black mother/From the city/where we choke/on that black smoke/smother” and “Black bodies/uprooted/unsettled and sold.” A sax solo in the middle slows the track way down, and Brother Portrait’s vocals from the start of the track float back, shrouded, disembodied.
Resavoir, the one act on the album that I know well, contributes “Plight,” a totally gorgeous song. It’s got a piano and vibraphone beginning, a little reminiscent of something from Sea and Cake, maybe, but then the horns enter and state the main theme and the song takes off in a different direction. The piano solo here goes all the way outside the track, explosive and adventurous, really inventive, then passes off to a sax solo that’s only barely less wild and errant. Crazy good playing here. There’s a quiet-down period about four minutes in, then a restatement of the main theme and the band carries the groove out to the end.
Great compilation and really enjoyable listen. It’s pretty heartening to see over the last five to 10 years how jazz has come back in popularity and how there are so many different, really lively scenes throughout the world, London, Chicago, Los Angeles, and many others. “Transmissions from Total Refreshment Centre” is such a cool showcase and will send you on dozens of happy errands tracking down other music from these groups and players.