The Grooves of MANG

oh, this has been quite lovely. 2021, closest thing I've come since I discovered Chris Botti's "A THOUSAND KISSES" back in... when was that? 2014? -maybe 2013... When I volunteered to man an art gallery at Junction festival (when I was still sewing my roots and connecting to my own home). That album was all about that winter and trumpet dreaming (me there with harmonium in art gallery playing ambient drones) and now, THIS album and just getting my head together and I exricate myself from my current job and (hopefully) absorb a new role which might bring me closer to my SOCIALWORK dreams... (counselling, community, MEN, projects etc...) -it sure is nice to have music I can lose myself into and use as a soundtrack of my NOW. -I don't know it'll necesarrilly have enough substance to be album of the year, but it did take me back to when I used to walk around Kenmore listening to Public Image cassettes.  Meditative escapism.  Very nice.  I imagine It would have bee...

Oh, well, this is a crazy album I decided can be included in the 2021 best of contenders.  -It was released in late 2000, but I only found out about it this week (and immediately bought on bandcamp) -Mike Watt playing Coltrane??? -fuck!  I wins just as a concept!  Henry Kaiser I know from that Darkstar album and the other dudes are new to me.  Honestly, I need to listen more to this (my weekend has just started) but it could be a little too inconsitant for my pallet.  The Love Supreme stuff is fucking cool and they make it their own, and just knowing that it's Watt laying the bottom end down, makes me extrodinarilly happy, but some of the later tracks are loose as fuck! -Maybe (I hope) they're grow on me... In the meantime, I recommend you give it a waz!  

  This is a special one.  Right now, all three available tracks are delightful and memorable.  For me, this is the kind of music that lingers.  I remember when that Aaron Parks album came out in 2018 and it became the soundtrack of finishing the uni I was doing.  It still takes me back to a lovely place.  I remember I went to Queensland and got drunk with my friends and went saw the opera and ate curry and walked along the beach in Coloundra.  This album sounds like it's going to do that.  It sounds like whatever's gonna happen this summer/christmas whatever, this album will take me back there.  It's chill, but it's got attitude too (thirwell doing vox on track 3 for example).  The piano makes it civilised and the recording sounds just right to become part of my eternal canon. This sense of space and time is exactly what I think Jazz should be.  If these guys played here every week, I'd never miss a show.  When I listen to this...

  So it is that my first review are these guys.  I'm going to work out the format of this blog as I go.  This is the first time I've ever heard Offset 5, it's October, Winter is gone and the weather is getting optimistic.  It means shirtless weekend mornings in the yard, beers in the afternoon, afternoon baths.  This album is good for my wellbeing.  It takes it easy, some standards that I already know (such as "Fall") and so it makes it extra easy to lock into.  There's also vibes in there, which to me is a kind of "cooling down the summer" thing.  The Sax is smoothe and optimistic.  This album sounds like cool shade on a hot day.  Certainly a contender...