Emapea & Nu Vintage – The Bird’s Eye View

Feb 14, 2024

Reviews



Comment(s): 0

Back in the ’90s on Congress Avenue we would search out the perfect blend of flavors. Enter that sleepy entrance and head upstairs if you dare. There you would find the Itamae serving up the best Nigiri, that perfect Japanese culinary treat. A few Sake later and you were putting yourself in prime position for the next course. But as you filled your appetite for food, you were quickly reminded of your other craving for the evening by the punctuated bumps on the floor. Under your feet were the exploratory sounds of jazz below. Anything goes down there and you just weren’t sure what you were going to get into. Nothing was to fear as we left our table to head to the subterranean.

Traditional jazz sounds were being rewritten in a style of their own on those nights many years ago. It was that creativity and uniqueness in sound that was addictive to us all. Well, for some on that evening it may have had something to do with our fourth Kanpai. But for me, the attraction was the ability of those artists to take those traditional sounds into the next dimension. The piano, the keys, the alto, the kick and Les Paul were all fair game. But in the end, I usually walked away not feeling completely satiated. I couldn’t put my finger, or ear, on it, but I knew there was an element of modernity that I needed. Don’t get me wrong, I am a sucker for Kind of Blue or A Love Supreme. But I knew I was looking for something to help me cross that line to the next level.

So, here it is 2024 and I am reminded of what I was looking for back in the day. A nod to the past with a handshake with the future. Emapea and Nu Vintage on that stage 30 years ago in that club would have shocked the system for most. And, I am not sure the majority of peeps would have been ready for what would be delivered. But, I know I would have been smiling in the dark back of the room because The Bird’s Eye View brings a warmth of those traditional jazz sounds fitted with that bold beat progression I was searching for.

Like a good Japanese whiskey, Bird’s Eye View brings a perfect collaboration of flavors that has been brewing for some time. Emapea and Nu Vintage are no strangers and have teamed up before. We were recently teased with the beauty of Horizons, a single released on the May 2023 Vibrations in Color on Cold Busted. On that track, the blend of styles are perfect as Emapea lays down the foundation for Nu Vintage to explore. They clearly knew there was so much more to explore and it was only a matter of time. Fortunately, it didn’t take long to kick out this full release in December showcasing how these two brothers are from another mother.

The Bird’s Eye View is the perfect vantage point to realize everything good that jazz has to offer today. Laid on the foundations of those that came before, Emapea and Nu style in the breakbeat sounds and turntablism that elevate what they create. These subtleties in sound are magnificent and never overpower or distract. They only work to keep you grounded in the current day as your mind might wander to the past. They also introduce many others on this release that you must take note like DJ Delightfu’s solid contributions to Color My Mind or Poetry in Motion. Listen up as Pete Van Dyke weaves in a flute which sometimes feels so antithetical to jazz on Trip to Japan. Not here. These other partners on BEV showcase how their sound can work across other genres and influences. Brilliant.

Track Listing: