Founding member of Electric Wire Hustle and a collaborator of Theo Parrish, New Zealand-based jazz percussionist and composer Myele Manzanza has been hard at work with his friend and collaborator, bass player Ross McHenry on the former's new album A Love Requited (due June 28, pre-order here). The new album arrives later this month and comes a full seven years since his debut album, One.
The main difference between the two is that, although One featured a lot of the guests that appear in this album, it was produced almost entirely by Manzanza. A Love Requited, however, feels like a much larger project. For one, Manzanza has brought in an enormous cast of characters from Australia and New Zealand's thriving jazz community. For two, the use of live instrumentation in place of studio electronics gives the album a much bigger, and without being cliché, richer sound.
Joining him on the epic tour de force are world class talents like APRA award winning NYC-based pianist Matthew Sheens, alto saxophonist Jake Baxendale, trumpeter Ben Harrison, trombonist James Macaulay, multi-reedist Jason McMahon, flautist Adam Page, guitarist Django Rowe, with additional keyboard contributions by longtime collaborator Mark de Clive-Lowe, Brenton Foster and Jack Strempel.
Ahead of the release of A Love Requited, take a listen to one of the album's key tracks, "Big Deal". A powerful explosion of brass and thundering percussion, as huge as the track feels, this is just the tip of the iceberg of what will no doubt prove to be a momentous jazz album.
