Needles & Grooves AotM /// Vol. 22 - April 2021 // Nérija - Blume

Selaws

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Congratulations for guessing this months N&G Album Of The Month, Nerija - Blume.

I have to admit that I found the selection process for this AOTM to be tricky as there are just so many fantastic musicians which deserve to be highlighted. I first became aware of Nerija with the vinyl release of their 2016 self-titled EP. At this point, Nerija was an all-female jazz group that acted as a supergroup made-up of musicians who also perform in other groups including Maisha, Kokoroko and SEED Ensemble. They made headlines with their fantastically inventive music, superb writing, and lively performances. As expected the media tended to focus on their gender and it is true that historically a female presence is often lacking in jazz. However, Nerija rightly proved that gender is not their main driving force with the inclusion of bassist Rio Kai in 2018, just before the recording of Blume. With International Women’s Day just passing, this album (and group) seem all the more relevant and a stunning example of female-led jazz, something which was historically incredibly rare. The music on Blume speaks for itself, with constantly fresh ideas, incredible musical interplay, blinding solos and a collaborative approach to the writing of their compositions. While all of the musicians make fantastic contributions, highlights include Sheila Maurice-Grey’s trumpet solo on ‘Last Straw’ and Nubya Garcia’s work on ‘Blume’, my personal highlight is Shirley Tetteh’s stunning guitar playing throughout.

I could go on writing more but I'm sure you are already sick of reading, so please feel free to check out the links I will share and please support Nerija by buying their stunning album, Blume.
 
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Guesses:
Roger Waters - The Wall - @panino
Miles Davis - Water Babies - @Colonel_Angus
Pat Metheny - Watercolors - @Colonel_Angus
Pedro Santos - Krishnanda - @NewsFedora
The Waterboys “The Secret life of the.....' - @ByersVinyl
Beautiful South - Greatest Hits - @ByersVinyl
Turin Brakes - The Optimist - @Jan
Mirah - Advisory Committee - @Skalap
Hot Water Music - A Flight And A Crash - @Souljacker
Leo Kottke - Ice Water - @ranbalam
Ultimate Painting - Self titled debut - @ranbalam
A Steady Drip Drip Drip by Sparks - @Murfocakes
Enya - Watermark - @Bsdmr2
Enya - Paint The Sky With Stars - @Bsdmr2
Chicks on Speed - Chicks on Speed will Save Us All - @debianlinux
Ryan Porter - The Optimist - @nolalady
Binker Golding - Abstractions of Reality Past and Incredible Feathers - @Turbo
Seed Ensemble - Driftglass - @Poly-Rythmo
Nerija - Blume - @Poly-Rythmo
 
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Article Links:

Track by track - Track By Track: Nérija, “Blume” - JAZZIZ Magazine

Nérija interview: “It’s the first thing I’ve played on that I’ve not wanted to set fire to.”

Nérija: the all-female septet shaking up the jazz scene

Nérija: Blume


Nerija’s Social Media:

Login • Instagram

Blume, by NÉRIJA

NÉRIJA | Artists | Domino


Live Youtube Videos:

Unbound Live At The Total Refreshment Centre www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhKMz0H1NdE

Riverfest Live At The Total Refreshment Centre www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3sAIQjh5Mk


Where to buy:

Before checking the sites below I urge you to check your local shop. They need all the help they can get at the moment and I'm sure there will be at least 1 in your vicinity which will have it in stock, or could get hold of a copy for you. Nerija’s bandcamp have long since had it sold out but it is still widely available elsewhere. The link below is for the big named online shops, plus my local.

UK/EU:

Domino - Nérija - Blume (Exclusive Double LP) | Domino Mart

Rough Trade - https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/nerija/blume/lp-x2

HMV - Blume | Vinyl 12" Album | Free shipping over £20 | HMV Store

Amazon France - Amazon product ASIN B07SB27K85
Amazon UK - Amazon product ASIN B07SWQ1NBY
Banquet Records - Nerija - Blume

US:

Domino USA - Nérija - Blume (Exclusive Double LP) | Domino Mart

Rough Trade USA - https://www.roughtrade.com/us/nerija/blume/lp-x2-2

Direct Audio - Nerija - Blume Vinyl 2LP
 
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A very mixed bag of initial guesses, it's impressive how many you guys have come up with from just a broad clue.

I will post another clue tomorrow and as we go on they will become more and more specific to hopefully paint a decent picture.
 
paint a decent picture
About time for another clue....

Remember, as we go on the clues will become more obviously linked to the album!

View attachment 90294

How about
Ultimate Painting - Self titled debut

Clue One - Water = Our Ultimate need in life
Clue 1.5 - "paint a decent picture"
Clue two - paints = Painting

Sorry to solve it so early in the game.
 
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