Black Focus
Black Focus | ||||
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Studio album by Yussef Kamaal | ||||
Released | 4 November 2016 | |||
Studio | Quartermass | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 43:42 | |||
Malcom Catto | ||||
Yussef Dayes chronology | ||||
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Kamaal Williams chronology | ||||
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Black Focus is the only
In 2017, when Yussef Kamaal were scheduled to perform in the United States, Dayes' visa was revoked under the Trump administration and the duo broke up shortly afterwards. The album experienced moderate success in the United Kingdom, reaching number 13 on the Jazz & Blues chart. It earned Yussef Kamaal the Breakthrough Award at the 2017 Jazz FM Awards. In 2018, Williams released his debut solo album The Return, which was considered a sequel to Black Focus.
Background and development
In 2008, keyboardist Kamaal Williams met session drummer
Regarding the title Black Focus, Dayes stated that it was "based of a few things. The Black Focus is your typical South London car. We’d be in the studio looking for an idea and see it outside[…] And I think black culture’s been appropriated in a way, but […] people don’t stand up for it. What we’re making is black music, inspired by jazz. People can interpret that title however they want."[6]
Composition
Thom Jurek of
The first half of the opening title track features spoken word, accompanied by horns "amid twinkling Rhodes and hand percussion".[4] In the second half, kit drums are introduced to "frame a bumping bassline, a two-chord jazz keyboard riff, and horns that move to a post-bop frontline".[4] "Strings of Light" is a breakbeat influenced track with synth-strings aided by horn breaks of "exploratory urgency".[1][4] "Yo Chavez" has "a gentle Rhodes line", paired with "Dayes' brushed, skittering snare and kick drum accents".[1][4] "Lowrider" is a snare drum heavy funk track that is topped by "vamping guitar chords, and swirling synths", which progress into "a 21st century take on Azymuth-esque fusion".[4] The song "Mansur's Message" was said to have "bottom-heavy funk without overstaying its welcome", according to Ryan B. Patrick of Exclaim!.[9] The final track, "Joint 17", showcases Yussef Kamaal's "canny polyrhythmic interplay" as its breaks and basslines frequently switch to keyboards that play "soul-tinged fills and runs".[4]
Release and reception
Black Focus was released on 4 November 2016.[4] The album did not enter the UK Albums Chart, but peaked at number 13 on the Jazz & Blues album chart in the United Kingdom.[10] On the Belgium Ultratop Flanders chart, it entered at number 91.[11]
In March 2017, shortly before their scheduled performance at the
Critical reception
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
The Financial Times | [20] |
The Irish Times | [21] |
Mojo | [22] |
Black Focus was met with universal acclaim from
Ammar felt that the tracks on Black Focus were "unfinished sketches [with its]
Accolades
Black Focus appeared in year end lists by AllMusic,
Legacy
Robin Murray of Clash considered Black Focus to be "a seminal moment in
Regarding the breakup of the band, Williams stated: "It was not really a split up with [Dayes]. Music is about continuing the exploration of what it started off... Nothing has really ended; it travelled into something new and fresh now… Even if we do the Yussef Kamaal stuff, everything is fresh everyday."[40] Black Focus was said to have contributed to Williams' rise to prominence.[41] His debut solo studio album, The Return (2018), was considered a sequel to Black Focus, the latter of which William's record label is also named after.[14] Dayes went on to record a collaborative album with guitarist Tom Misch titled What Kinda Music (2020), and would release his debut solo album, Black Classical Music, in 2023.[34]
Track listing
All track are written by Yussef Dayes and Kamaal Williams.[7]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | "Black Focus" | 4:34 |
2. | "Strings of Light" | 8:28 |
3. | "Remembrance" | 9:00 |
4. | "Yo Chavez" | 3:59 |
5. | "Ayla" | 0:46 |
6. | "O.G." | 0:46 |
7. | "Lowrider" | 4:28 |
8. | "Mansur's Message" | 2:06 |
9. | "WingTai Drums" | 1:16 |
10. | "Joint 17" | 8:19 |
Total length: | 43:42 |
Personnel
Credits for Black Focus adapted from the album's liner notes.[7]
- Yussef Dayes – drums, percussion, production
- Kamaal Williams[a] – Rhodes piano, synth, production
- Adelight – recording (9–10)
- Mansur Brown – guitar
- Fabrice Buergelle – photography
- Malcom Catto– production, engineering, assistant production, recording (1–8)
- Guy Davie – mastering
- Kareem Dayes – bass
- Haji Noor Deen – calligraphy
- Tom Driessler – bass
- Shabaka Hutchings – saxophone
- Eric Lau – engineering, production
- Matt&Dan – art direction, design
- Kengo Oshima – engineer, recording (9–10)
- Richard Samuels – assistant production, engineering, production
- Yelfris Valdes – trumpet
- Selem Wakazi – photography
- Gordon Weddenburn – spoken word
Charts
Chart (2016) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[11] | 91 |
UK Jazz & Blues Albums (OCC)[10] | 13 |
Notes
- ^ All credited as Henry Wu, including songwriting.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Ammar, Kalia (7 November 2016). "Clash Magazine Review". Clash. Archived from the original on 2 August 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ "Meet one of the UK jazz scene's brightest stars, Henry Wu". Red Bull Music Academy. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ Jurek, Thom. "Yussef Kamaal | Biography & History". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 17 November 2020. Retrieved 10 November 2020.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Jurek, Thom. "AllMusic Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 22 November 2020. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ Weiner, Natalie (25 May 2018). "Kamaal Williams And 'The Return' Of Acid Jazz". Vinyl Me Please. Archived from the original on 20 September 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ a b Weiss, Jeff (3 November 2016). "'Jazz Is About A Representation Of The Time': An Interview With Yussef Kamaal". Passion of the Weiss. Archived from the original on 25 September 2020. Retrieved 31 October 2018.
- ^ a b c Black Focus (liner notes). Yussef Kamaal. Brownswood Recordings. 2016. BWOOD0157LP.
{{cite AV media}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ Ghassemitari, Shawn (25 March 2022). "Kamaal Williams Embodies the Sound of the London Underground". Hypebeast. Retrieved 30 June 2022.
- ^ a b c Patrick, Ryan B. (4 November 2016). "Exclaim! Review". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Official Jazz & Blues Albums Chart Top 30". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Ultratop.be – Yussef Kamaal – Black Focus" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ "Yussef Kamaal and United Vibrations barred from entering America". Jazz FM. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
- ^ a b "Yussef Kamaal confirm split". Jazz FM. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2018.
- ^ a b c Nguyen, Dean Van. "Kamaal Williams: The Return". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 24 September 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
- ^ a b Murray, Robin (4 May 2017). "Yussef Kamaal To Perform Separately". Clash. Archived from the original on 26 June 2018. Retrieved 10 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Metacritic Reviews". Metacritic. Archived from the original on 26 March 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ Kucinskas, Rokas (23 July 2017). "Yussef Kamaal: Black Focus album review". All About Jazz. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
- ^ a b Ramirez, Alejandra. "Yussef Kamaal". The Austin Chronicle. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
- ^ Crack Magazine. Archivedfrom the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ Hobart, Mike (4 November 2016). "Yussef Kamaal: Black Focus — review". Financial Times. Retrieved 6 November 2022.
- ^ Carroll, Jim. "Yussef Kamaal - Black Focus album review: full of excitement and diversity". The Irish Times. Archived from the original on 25 November 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ "Black Focus". Mojo: 99. January 2017.
- ^ Majumdar, Anushree (9 December 2018). "Meet the British-Chinese Muslim man from south London reinventing jazz". The Indian Express. Archived from the original on 10 December 2018. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- Time Out London. Archivedfrom the original on 11 December 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
- ^ "AllMusic Best of 2016 | AllMusic 2016 in Review". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2 November 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- ^ "XLR8R's Best of 2016: Releases". XLR8R. 23 December 2016. Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- ^ "The best albums of 2016". Time Out London. 8 April 2015. Archived from the original on 15 December 2016. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- ^ a b "Bandcamp's Top 100 Albums of 2016". Bandcamp. 8 December 2016. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ "The POW Best Albums of 2018". Passion of the Weiss. 12 December 2016. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ Hart, Ron (12 December 2016). "The 20 Best Jazz Albums of 2016". The New York Observer – via ProQuest.
- ^ Saunders, Luke (14 December 2019). "The 25 best contemporary jazz albums of the 2010s". Happy Mag. Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
- ^ "Clash Albums Of The Year 2016: 30 - 21". Clash. 14 December 2016. Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
- ^ Murray, Robin (11 July 2023). "Kamaal Williams Announces New Album 'Stings'". Clash. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
- ^ a b Murray, Robin (18 September 2023). "Yussef Dayes – Black Classical Music | Reviews". Clash. Retrieved 21 September 2023.
- ^ Skala, Jemima (28 April 2020). "Tom Misch / Yussef Dayes: What Kinda Music". Pitchfork. Condé Nast. Retrieved 22 December 2022.
- ^ Beta, Andy. "Kamaal Williams: Wu Hen". Pitchfork. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ Orlov, Piotr (2 March 2018). "Inside Jazz's New British Invasion". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on 9 December 2020. Retrieved 29 November 2020.
- ^ Orlov, Piotr (17 May 2018). "Kamaal Williams' 'The Return' Is An Elastic And Funky Debut". NPR. Archived from the original on 15 December 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
- ^ Kalia, Ammar (24 July 2020). "Kamaal Williams: Wu Hen review – jazz-soul revivalist's fitful return". The Guardian. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
- ^ "Behind the scenes with the Kamaal Williams Ensemble". World is Music. May 2017. Archived from the original on 19 February 2018. Retrieved 1 November 2018.
- ^ Kalia, Ammar (24 July 2020). "Kamaal Williams: Wu Hen review – jazz-soul revivalist's fitful return". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 13 August 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
External links
- Black Focus at Discogs (list of releases)