Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs in Arabic Unlock the Editor’s Digest for freeRoula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.The joyous grooves and spirited breaks that infuse this album were assembled from extended studio jams that took place in London in September 2019. The session’s 10-piece ensemble included UK jazz regulars such as the saxophonist Binker Golding as well as members of Maisha, the rocking spiritual jazz ensemble launched by drummer/producer Jake Long in 2016. Long has now re-cast the session tapes — chopped up, added to and looped — into a four-track dystopian jazz suite entitled City Swamp. Packed with detail and the musicians’ personalities, the music sounds fresh and avoids pastiche.The album’s theme may be cycles of urban decay and regeneration, but the vibe that comes across is of close-knit musicians enjoying each other’s company, playing with purpose but also stretching out. Long’s post-production techniques were pioneered by Teo Macero and Miles Davis on the 1970 album Bitches Brew, and the influence of that era remains strong.The set opens with “Ideological Rubble”, named after a term coined by political theorist Alex Williams and cited in Mark Fisher’s book Capitalist Realism — a key influence on Long’s ideas. Layered mists of electronica begin, continuing with saxophonists Golding and Nubya Garcia on declamatory form. Around the four-minute mark, the track settles into an extended breakout driven by a bass riff. Funky beats, moments of calm and solos by keyboardists Amané Suganami and Al MacSween suggest resistance in play.“Celestial Soup”, which comes next, goes from spacey beginnings to a crescendo of snare-drum chatter on a bed of EDM, followed by “Swamp”, whose subtle bass undertow has echoes of Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love”. Onto this foundation Long places elements of early dub, while his own stripped-down drumming delivers a tight, infectious and unabashed rhythmic pulse, building to a peak of wailing, blues-inflected guitar. The album closes with the ebb-and-flow arc of “Silhouette”, which features a sinuous theme, sensuous brass and a standout appearance by Shirley Tetteh on guitar.★★★★☆‘City Swamp’ is released by New Soil
