Do coconuts dream of fusion? If you follow the record-selection skills of Danny McLewin, alias Skyrager, that could very well be the case. And why should coconuts merely be healthy and taste good? They might well have something resembling musical taste. On this compilation, Skyrager has brought together rare finds from record crates that, at first glance, seem to be aimed at an older audience. Much of it dates back to the 1970s, at least.
Alongside the exquisite soul of the virtuosic and elegant singer Angela Bofill, the relaxed and controlled guitar skills of jazz musician Ryo Kawasaki, and the Asian-influenced adult-oriented rock of Keiko Nosaka & George Murasaki – who combine subtly distorted guitar riffs with koto tones – there’s also room for the understated Lovers Rock of Fred Bryan, who stands out above all for the fact that, in his track addressing apartheid in South Africa, he raps more than he sings. Funk in various forms also features in the mix, including ‘Three O’Clock in the Morning’ by Joseph, which begins as a harmless folk song with acoustic guitar before gradually unleashing first the rhythm section and then the horn section. Hardly any of these artists can claim to be particularly well-known; perhaps the band X comes closest, incorporating both a vibraphone and a bassoon into their solid, soulful jazz number. May the coconuts continue to dream.
