Celebrated veteran hip-hop producer and bassist Ethan Parsonage aka Headnodic teams up with longstanding cross-over collective Jazz Mafia in a musical meeting that’s been years in the making. The forward-thinking outfit was founded in 2000 by Adam Theis, bringing together eclectic elements of jazz, world music, and hip-hop. Across the thirteen cuts served up on this eponymous effort, we get classic hip-hop beats melding seamlessly with a myriad of jazz, soul, and more.
Opener »Rambissimo« acts as a fine statement of intent for what is to come. Layers of brass and woodwind drop in and out over a classic hip-hop groove as a vibraphone dances across the top of the mix. »Zugulala« keeps things going in much the same fashion, only with the sampled and electronic elements taking on a more prominent role. The vocals of Destani Wolf add a seductively soulful edge to »Maiden Voyage«, while »Risk Pt 1« serves up some fiery bars from the collective. Its counterpart, »Risk Pt 2«, brings in a tense, electro-tinged feel and a skittering breakbeat. Across the whole set, the beats created in the box by Headnodic meld seamlessly with the genre-crossing grooves of Jazz Mafia. This truly is a sonic match made in heaven. Highly recommended for anyone who loves fusions of hip-hop, jazz, and beyond.
