Bleep

Joe Armon-Jones has made some interesting moves in the last 12 months. After stepping out with his debut LP Starting Today in mid-2018, the end of the year saw him dropping a pair of dub versions of tunes from that record. Then, a few months later, we were treated to the spooling, almost Floating Points-esque ‘Icy Roads (Stacked)’. As it turns out, these stylistic expansions were all setting the scene for Armon-Jones’ new album Turn To Clear View, an ambitious set of futuro-jazz.

While first and foremost a jazz fusion record, a few of the tracks here look to the rocksteady philosophy of dub. Snaking, melodious basslines take the lead on tracks like ‘Try Walk With Me’, intertwining with half-time drums and astral harmonising in a manner that recalls the arrangements of Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp A Butterfly. Indeed, hip-hop and rap are other core touchstones for Turn To Clear View, from the crunchy drum breaks that anchor several cuts to a guest appearance from UK legend Jehst.

A record this stylistically supple wouldn’t hold together without some exceptional musical ability going into it. Armon-Jones once again proves himself an excellent band-leader, dictating proceedings from the keys while occasionally stepping out with a virtuoso solo. Long-time pals Oscar Jerome, Nubya Garcia and Moses Boyd are among the others who further their case across Turn To Clear View.

On his second LP Turn To Clear View, Joe Armon-Jones cements his place as one of the UK’s premier modern jazz talents.