Blue-in-Green:PODCAST Imran Mirza

Welcome to Episode #133 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which this week sees Imran connect with the revered harpist, composer, author and educator, Amanda Whiting.

Already an established artist with album releases through Jazzman Records, Amanda's boundless talents have really risen to prominence this year with the last six months generating some incredible successes. The 'Lost in Abstraction Remixes' EP came at the tail-end of 2023 through the Scrimshire-helmed Albert's Favourites label and was swiftly followed by her collaborative First Word Records release with Don Leisure, 'Beyond the Midnight Sun'. Recognising her immeasurable talent, First Word were keen to induct Amanda into the label's hallowed halls recently releasing her amazing project, 'The Liminality of Her'. Three projects that go a long way in demonstrating the scope of Amanda's boundless skill and talents.

We were thrilled to have secured time with Amanda as a feature presentation for our International Jazz Day celebrations (28th April 2024) so you can now catch the complete unedited conversation here. During our chat, we discuss the aforementioned three projects and her journey to jazz via the harp.

We'd love to extend a gratious thank you to Amanda for her time and for gifting us with a genuinely fascinating conversation.

To explore Amanda Whiting releases further and to check out the new 'The Liminality of Her' album, please visit the Bandcamp page below:
https://amandawhiting.bandcamp.com/music

www.blueingreenradio.com
www.blueingreenradio.com/p/listenlive.html
TuneIn: bit.ly/2LBK0BD

The Blue-in-Green:PODCAST runs in conjunction with the online radio station, Blue-in-Green:RADIO which celebrates 21st century soul, jazz, funk, Latin & hip-hop music. These shows are designed to give you some insight into the incredible range of talented presenters we're so lucky to host from all over the world and to geek out musically with us.

Welcome to Episode #132 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which this week sees Imran connect with London-based drummer, percussionist and composer, Tim Doyle.

Doyle has seen long cemented himself amongst one of London's premier musicians amidst its pioneering jazz scene. Boasting a résumé that has seen the musician serve as a key contributor to spiritual jazz ensemble Maisha as well as the genre-defying Cykada, Doyle has further established his sound via his own Chiminyo project which seeks to celebrate the union of jazz with more electronica and club-infused soundscapes. With his latest release through Astigmatic Records, Uniri's 'Infinite Reflections', Doyle & company once again seek to reimagine contemporary jazz this time using hip-hop luminaries as their jumping off point.

We were so grateful for the chance to catch-up with Tim to discuss his approach to making music and establishing new collectives, what constitutes jazz in today's musical landscape, Chiminyo releases and of course the new Uniri project. We also have an involved conversation about how listeners consume their music today and the ramifications of streaming culture on the independent artist.

We'd love to extend a gratious thank you to Tim for his time and for gifting us with a really fascinating conversation.

To explore Chiminyo's releases further and to check out the new Uniri album, please visit the Bandcamp pages below:
https://chiminyo.bandcamp.com/music
https://uniri.bandcamp.com/album/infinite-reflections

www.blueingreenradio.com
www.blueingreenradio.com/p/listenlive.html
TuneIn: bit.ly/2LBK0BD

The Blue-in-Green:PODCAST runs in conjunction with the online radio station, Blue-in-Green:RADIO which celebrates 21st century soul, jazz, funk, Latin & hip-hop music. These shows are designed to give you some insight into the incredible range of talented presenters we're so lucky to host from all over the world and to geek out musically with us.

Welcome to Episode #131 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which this week sees Imran connect with London-based guitarist and composer, Mike De Souza.

Having just released his second full-length project at the end of 2023, 'Chrysalis' further held the distinction of having found a home on the revered Spanish label, Fresh Sound Records. Despite being a project that initially found its life during the quarantine period, 'Chrysalis' became an album about hope through adversity and a stunning piece of work to add to De Souza's burgeoning catalogue.

With two albums and an EP ('Road Fork', 2018) now under his belt, De Souza continues to cement his name as a solo artist in his own right in addition to his already stunning résumé which includes a slew of releases via collaborative projects, session work and global touring duties. Perhaps best known for the genre-defying Big Bad Wolf project which generated the fantastic 'Pond Life' album in 2017 and was subsequently followed by a selection of standalone singles, De Souza can further boast collaborations with Twospeak, Alex Paxton, Simon Read and Phil Meadows as well as having secured touring duties alongside the revered US trumpeter Terrence Blanchard.

We were grateful to catch-up with Mike to discuss the new album, his early connections to music and the guitar, the creative process and Big Bad Wolf. We'd love to extend a gratious thank you to Mike for his time and for gifting us with a really fascinating conversation.

To purchase your copy of 'Chrysalis', please visit Mike's Bandcamp page below:
http://www.blueingreenradio.com/2024/01/chrysalis-by-mike-de-souza.html

www.blueingreenradio.com
www.blueingreenradio.com/p/listenlive.html
TuneIn: bit.ly/2LBK0BD

The Blue-in-Green:PODCAST runs in conjunction with the online radio station, Blue-in-Green:RADIO which celebrates 21st century soul, jazz, funk, Latin & hip-hop music. These shows are designed to give you some insight into the incredible range of talented presenters we're so lucky to host from all over the world and to geek out musically with us.

Welcome to Episode #130 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which this week sees Imran connect with the immeasurably talented, Eki Shola.

As a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer, Eki has cultivated a strong reputation for her inspired and all-encompassing approach to music-making. Always revered for her ability to incorporate various genres and styles within her music - from jazz to neo-soul to twinges of electronica - her current, fifth album release '還 (Kaeru)', ushers in an even more ambitious creative scope...

Recorded in Japan alongside a team of musicians, the combination of cultural styles breeds sensational results and provides an incredible new aesthetic to anything we've heard Shola bless previously. An album that finds itself immersed within the themes of identity and the concept of home, Eki has long proved herself to be an artist that wears her heart on her sleeve, creating impassioned and sincere music as a result.

We were grateful to catch-up with Eki to discuss the new album, recording and touring the release in Japan, the creative process and her family's deep-rooted connections to music. We'd love to extend a gratious thank you to Eki for her time and for gifting us such a wonderful episode.

To purchase your copy of '還 (Kaeru)', please visit Eki's Bandcamp page below:
https://ekishola.bandcamp.com/album/kaeru

www.blueingreenradio.com
www.blueingreenradio.com/p/listenlive.html
TuneIn: bit.ly/2LBK0BD

The Blue-in-Green:PODCAST runs in conjunction with the online radio station, Blue-in-Green:RADIO which celebrates 21st century soul, jazz, funk, Latin & hip-hop music. These shows are designed to give you some insight into the incredible range of talented presenters we're so lucky to host from all over the world and to geek out musically with us.

Welcome to Episode #129 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which this week sees Imran connect with singer-songwriter, Abi Farrell.

Currently promoting new single 'Company', the immeasurably talented artist is steadily ammassing an excellent collection of music with a mix of independently released singles and releases as part of the contemporary soul label, Big AC Records. Whether Abi's releases find her addressing wider societal issues or whether they find her speaking to more intimate dynamics, her songs seem to permeate through to audiences and resonate with those fears, concerns and joys that we all experience.

A consistent live performer having supported contemporary luminaries including Izo Fitzroy and MF Robots as well as headlining her own shows, Big AC Records' Third Anniversary Show is currently set for 30th November 2023 at Oslo Hackney, London, and finds Abi sharing the stage with labelmates Nick Corbin, Carmy Love and Emma Noble.

We were grateful to catch up with Abi to discuss 'Company' and past music releases, the creative process, life as an independent artist, Big AC Records and the upcoming live show.

www.blueingreenradio.com
www.blueingreenradio.com/p/listenlive.html
TuneIn: bit.ly/2LBK0BD

The Blue-in-Green:PODCAST runs in conjunction with the online radio station, Blue-in-Green:RADIO which celebrates 21st century soul, jazz, funk, Latin & hip-hop music. These shows are designed to give you some insight into the incredible range of talented presenters we're so lucky to host from all over the world and to geek out musically with us.

Welcome to Episode #128 of the Blue-in-Green:PODCAST which sees Imran connect with saxophonist, writer and composer, Sam Newbould.

We last had the opportunity to catch up with Sam back in episode #78 following the release of his stunning sophomore album, 'Bogus Notus' (ZenneZ Records, 2021) - a project that took a distinctly innovative approach to his years growing up in the Yorkshire Dales. With a third outing for his fantastic quintet due in 2024, the Amsterdam-based artist is gearing up for an incredibly busy summer that has already seen him chalk up a rousing performance at this year's Love Supreme festival and sees him gearing up for a seven-day UK tour starting in Manchester and culminating in Nottingham.

If you're UK based and hold a penchant for sublime live jazz, then check out the dates and locations below:

DATES
18th September - Band on the Wall, Manchester
19th September - Jazz at the Spotted Dog, Birmingham
20th September - Jazz at HEART, Leeds
21st September - The Ropewalk, Hull
22nd September - The Bear Club, Luton
23rd September - The Vortex, London
24th September - Peggy’s Skylight, Nottingham

This episode sees Sam look back at 'Bogus Notus', look ahead to album #3, discuss a manic summer of touring along with a vast array of topics including having to navigate today's digital and social media realms, the burgeoning impact of AI and the challenges of being honest when it comes to your own creativity.

www.blueingreenradio.com
www.blueingreenradio.com/p/listenlive.html
TuneIn: bit.ly/2LBK0BD

The Blue-in-Green:PODCAST runs in conjunction with the online radio station, Blue-in-Green:RADIO which celebrates 21st century soul, jazz, funk, Latin & hip-hop music. These shows are designed to give you some insight into the incredible range of talented presenters we're so lucky to host from all over the world and to geek out musically with us.