Ruby Rushton “Two For Joy”

Our appreciation for 22a and their extended family has steadily spiralled over the last year or so. We’ve already featured various members of the clan in their own rights: Jeen Bassa and Al Dobson Jr weaving wax as far back as 2012, Mo Kolours multiple times and Henry Wu serving “Just Negotiate” on a plate for Debuts. It’s about time all of those names came together on one set list, mind – a wish we’re churning into reality with this Friday’s 22a label showcase in London.

22a #6 sees Tenderlonious lift the label into album territory for the first time. Led by the label chief on sax, flute and percussion, Ruby Rushton is the result of four friends uniting to ooze out off-the-cuff jazz. Their debut album, Two For Joy, was recorded in 2011, a deeply personal set of compositions fuelled by an admiration for Coltrane, Yusef Lateef and Fela Kuti through to more contemporary demi-gods like Slum Village and Sa-Ra. The title track – which you can stream uptop – is luxuriously smooth, handmade for Sunday mid-morning couch sessions with the spring sun reaching inwards.

As with all 22a releases, catch it on vinyl (180g) when it lands on June 29th.

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