With all of the uncertainty casting a dark, daunting shadow over our lives these days, it’s reassuring when we’re reminded that some things remain business as usual, or at least close to usual. Case in point, the mighty Blue Note Records is still delivering top-tier aural treats for our eager ears, as evidenced by today’s announcement of the forthcoming Blue Note Re:imagined project.
Due to arrive September 25th, the ambitious effort finds an impressive crop of today’s most dynamic musical talents reinvigorating classic songs from the revered label’s prolific canon, including compositions by such luminaries as Herbie Hancock, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Henderson, Wayne Shorter, Donald Byrd, Eddie Henderson, McCoy Tyner and Andrew Hill. The reworked versions of these compositions come courtesy of Shabaka Hutchings, Ezra Collective, Nubya Garcia, Mr Jukes, Steam Down, Skinny Pelembe, Emma-Jean Thackray, Poppy Ajudha, Jordan Rakei, Fieh, Ishmael Ensemble, Blue Lab Beats, Melt Yourself Down, Yazmin Lacey, Alfa Mist, and Jorja Smith.
“The music of Blue Note Records owes its enduring relevance to the fact that, throughout its 81-year history, the artists on the label consistently pushed the envelope of contemporary music,” Blue Note President Don Was explained in an official statement. “‘Blue Note Re:imagined’ continues that tradition by viewing the label’s legacy thru the lens of the UK scene’s most inventive young artists.”
Nominated for the prestigious Mercury Prize on the strength of her 2018 debut album Lost & Found, Smith has blessed us with the first offering from Blue Note Re:imagined in the form of her sublime cover of St Germain’s “Rose Rouge,” originally released on the French soundsmith’s acclaimed 2000 album Tourist.
The accompanying Samona Olanipekun directed video features a montage of footage from the recent protest movement that has swept the nation in the wake of George Floyd’s murder at the hands and knees of Minneapolis police officers. “We have to continue the conversation around injustices that are and have been inflicted upon black people all over the world,” Smith explains in an official statement. “This video is a tribute to all the people who have paved the way for black empowerment and freedom. We are not going to stay quiet—black lives matter—they always have. Samona, who directed the video, captured the togetherness and power of the movement and I hope when you watch, you feel with us.”
Proceeds from the sales of the 7-inch single via the Blue Note online store will be allocated to the non-profit Kwanda, a platform designed to both help and encourage individuals giving back to, and building within, black communities.
Watch the video for Smith’s fresh take on this modern Blue Note classic and listen to St Germain’s original version below.
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