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Voices of Bishara

by Tom Skinner

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timmytherube
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timmytherube I just bought this earlier tonight, and now I am sitting here in the dark instead of turning in for the night, just listening to this record over and over again on a loop. My initial reaction was that this is probably one of the best jazz albums of 2022. My considered reaction, as I press play for the 3rd time, is that this absolutely must be among the handful of best records released this year. Spend some time with it, and I think you'll agree. Favorite track: The Journey.
mankpit
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mankpit this record is jammed packed with greatness every moment is bright... probably going to hit alot of top ten lists for 2022 ! Favorite track: Bishara.
petnoodle
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petnoodle Have a hard time choosing which track I like best - this is just great stuff
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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Rubellite 160g Color LP in Heavyweight Reverse-Board Jacket, with Glossy Photo Insert Sheet, IARC OBI strip & dome-pattern inner sleeve. Pressed at Smashed Plastic in Chicago, with lacquers cut by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service. 45rpm. Limited Edition of 777 copies.

    **orders ship from US only. for EU/UK orders, see Brownswood Recordings**

    Includes unlimited streaming of Voices of Bishara via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
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  • Record/Vinyl + Digital Album

    Classic Black 160g LP in Heavyweight Reverse-Board Jacket, with Glossy Photo Insert Sheet, IARC OBI strip & dome-pattern inner sleeve. Pressed at Smashed Plastic in Chicago, with lacquers cut by Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering Service. 45rpm.

    **orders ship from the US only. for UK/EU orders, see Brownswood Recordings.**

    Includes unlimited streaming of Voices of Bishara via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days
    Purchasable with gift card

      $24 USD or more 

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Shiny compact disk in a deluxe 4-panel digipack.

    **orders ship from US only. for EU/UK orders, see Brownswood Recordings**

    Includes unlimited streaming of Voices of Bishara via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.
    ships out within 7 days
    Purchasable with gift card

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  • Streaming + Download

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1.
Bishara 05:37
2.
Red 2 02:57
3.
The Journey 05:01
4.
5.
6.

about

The title of Tom Skinner’s first release under his own name is a reference to cellist Abdul Wadud’s ultra-rare 1978 solo album ‘By Myself’, which Skinner listened to repeatedly during lockdown. Wadud’s album was privately pressed on his own label, Bisharra, and whilst Skinner’s title uses the more conventional spelling of this common Arabic name, they both have the same intention or meaning: it translates as ‘good news’, or ‘the bringer of good news’.

This is a classic-sounding record that connects backwards to Skinner’s 2017 Hello Skinny collaboration with American composer and Arthur Russell-collaborator Peter Zummo on ‘Watermelon Sun’. It links sideways to Makaya McCraven’s beat maker-inspired treatments of jazz sessions, and it offers a musical bridge to Sons of Kemet’s most meditative moments.

‘Voices of Bishara’ began life when Tom Skinner asked some musician friends to join him for a Played Twice session at London’s Brilliant Corners. The regular event had a simple format: play a classic album in full through their audiophile system and then have an elite ensemble improvise their response. The night in question focused on drummer Tony Williams’ 1964 Blue Note album ‘Life Time’ and the music he and his friends conjured up was so special that it inspired Skinner to write an albums-worth of phenomenal new music.

Skinner, a cellist, a bass player and two saxophonists recorded the results classic album-style, with everyone in the same room. He took the music home and it was put to the side, occasionally coming out for some attention in between Tom’s many other creative projects. This was a slow burn creation, and gradually, a new album began appearing as he embraced the studio recordings and accentuated their sublime idiosyncrasies.

“I took a very liberal approach with the scissors and started going really hard into the edits between instruments. It breathed new life into the music. I was taking my cue from the great disco re-edits, people like Theo Parrish chopping up tunes and looping sections. I’m not a purist. I don’t want to get hung up on the past. It was really empowering to fuck it up a bit, to mess around with the music and see what happened. It felt right”

The result is a tight, hypnotic and unique 31-minutes of music. ‘Voices of Bishara’ is sculpted around timeless and deeply emotional music that contains masses of movement and exceptional harmonic depth and texture. It sweeps and soars through soundworlds, rich in musicality and always anchored by the deep doubling of cello and bass. It also, of course, contains Skinner’s percussive magic – drumming skills that have brought artists from Grace Jones to Jonny Greenwood to request him on their records and tours.

“We’re individual voices, coming together collectively. The idea was that we could collectively bring something more positive to the table. It’s the start of something.”

Tom Skinner and ‘Voices of Bishara’: bringers of good news.

credits

released November 4, 2022

Tom Skinner – Drums
Kareem Dayes – Cello
Nubya Garcia – Tenor saxophone and flute
Tom Herbert – Acoustic bass
Shabaka Hutchings – Tenor saxophone and bass clarinet

Recorded by Blue May and assisted by Scott Knapper at Konk
Mixed by Dilip Harris
Mastered by Guy Davie at Electric Mastering
Produced by Tom Skinner
Sleeve design and artwork by Paul Camo for Studio Camo
Layout for US release by Craig Hansen

Music by Tom Skinner (copyright control)
‘Red 2’ is a version of ‘Two Pieces Of One: Red’ (Williams).  Published by EMI Music Publishing Ltd/EMI Blackwood Music Inc/Tillmon Music Co.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.

Shabaka Hutchings appears courtesy of Impulse!
Nubya Garcia appears courtesy of Concord Jazz

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International Anthem Chicago, Illinois

International Anthem is a Chicago-born recording company that produces and promotes progressive media.

The IARC mission is to make positive contributions to the changing state of the music industry, and to vitalize the demand for boundary-defying music by presenting unique sounds in appealing packages to untapped audiences.
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