Wu Hen

South London's Peckham is England's center for articulate adventure and inclusion among artists approaching jazz in the 21st century. Keyboardist and producer Kamaal Williams was among the scene's most celebrated progenitors as part of duo Yussef Kamaal. They unceremoniously split shortly after releasing their prize-winning debut, Black Focus. For the sake of continuity, Williams hustled out The Return on his own, replicating the earlier album's sleeve design while naming his label after its title. Rightfully acclaimed for its performances, the absence of Yussef Dayes was felt in the album's lack of imaginative rhythm tracks. Wu Hen, Williams' proper second album is titled for the nickname provided by his Taiwanese grandmother. This ten-track set integrates the keyboardist's experiments in jazz, hip-hop, R&B, and electronic dance music under the banner of "Wu Funk." His accompanists on the date include strings and charts from Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, saxophones from Quinn Mason, Katalyst Collective's Greg Paul on drums, and bassist Rick Leon James. Alina Bzhezhinska's harp is employed in a guest capacity.

Opener "Street Dreams" offers a dizzying string intro from Bzhezhinska and Atwood-Ferguson. It juxtaposes Ravel's Afternoon of a Faun with bluesy, John Klemmer-esque tenor wailing from Mason before a modal Middle Eastern string interlude carries it out. "One More Time" boasts spiky, angular breaks and zigzagging piano and synth chord patterns that function as rhythm, harmony, and textured tones for Mason's brisk post-bop tenor solo, appended by Paul's languid bass line. "Pigalle" commences with a pulsing, uplifting Herbie Hancock-esque piano driving a soul-jazz bass line and finger-popping drums before Mason delivers his best Coltrane impression in a dramatic solo. "Save Me" is a swaggering encounter between street funk and soul-jazz. It was originally to be a guest vehicle for rapper Mach-Hommy, but he was mixed out of the final version. A grime-esque dancefloor beat meets Williams' spacious piano comping and a hypnotic snare/hi-hat under the propulsive authority of James' marching bass line. "Hold On" is blissed-out spiritual soul with a guest vocal from Lauren Faith. Its languid pace is set by a wobbly synth and drifting piano chords, all lushly enhanced by Bzhezhinska's harp. While the melody is sparse, it is an example of Williams' expansive harmonic ideas. It feeds beautifully into set closer "First Prayer," with a two-chord synth vamp masterfully extended by Mason's lyrical soloing. It is the one place on Wu Hen where Williams' sequencing makes sense on first listen. Elsewhere jarring tempo and textural juxtapositions may confuse listeners initially, though each tune ultimately resolves in a satisfying, accessible musical articulation. Wu Hen is the first mature portrait of Williams. In his integrated approach, genre, style, and production techniques all serve as building blocks in the creation of a holistic, spiritually instructive sound world. ~ Thom Jurek