The storied history of Afro-jazz funk legends Plunky & Oneness continues with a new album, Eclecticism, to be released June 13 of this year. As a prelude to the new album, Plunky is releasing Only You, a four-song maxi-single of Afro-mellow smooth grooves on March 13. While his maxi-single focuses on mellow vibes, the four tracks still showcase the variety and versatility Plunky and his group have shown for more than 40 years and 25 albums. Newness and innovation are on full display on this EP as Plunky and his son, J. Fire Branch, have produced a collection of personal songs with multiple layers of beats, sounds and meanings.
Listen to samples of the Only You 4-song Maxi Single, click here:
Heres how Plunky himself describes the songs on the EP/Maxi-single:
The title tune, Only You, is a smooth groove song about your one and only love. The tenor sax lead implies that it is a man speaking to his lover, but female background vocals make it clear that it is just as likely that a woman might sing it to hers. Every listener can hope that if they asked their lover who makes you happy, the answer would be, Only You. This song is my nod to Najee, Gerald Albright, Boney James, Kim Waters and all the smooth jazz saxophonists who make it mellow and funky at the same time.
Love Makes Us Better is about universal love. The modal piano vamp on the track hearkens back to the openness of John Coltranes A Love Supreme and Pharaoh Sanders Karma; but this new song combines sequencing with live instruments, vocals and soprano sax. The song was produced using modern hip-hop/R&B sampling techniques, instrumental improvisation and lyrics to create a nu-cosmic jazz.
The instrumental track, Word of Mouth, could have been titled Oral History or*Speaking in Tongues. This is truly a new music construct, using voices as percussion instruments and overdubbed saxophones as a rhythm section. This is special, acoustic Nu-Afro-beat music; mellow and danceable.
The introspective song, Dream Safari, uses a new age soundscape and a smooth Afro-jazz groove to create a vehicle for a tenor sax excursion into dream land. The song is cinematic, expansive and intimate. A safari is an expedition and this is a soundtrack for a quest for wisdom, peace and love&
These are songs for this season, and with these songs I am intimating a subtle African and cosmopolitan aesthetic, an understated and diverse Afropolitan jazz-funk music.
Only You 4-Song sampler video:
Musicians: J. Plunky Branch sax, vocals; J. Fire Branch electronic percussion, tracks; Charlayne*Chyp Green vocals; P. Muzi Branch bass; J. L. Harris keyboards; Carl Lester El guitars; Chris Beasley guitar; Kala Page background vocals; Abdou Muhammed Djembe drum; Al Dokes tracks production
The Only You four-song EP is available from www.cdbaby.com and on all usual download sites.
Plunky & Oneness is available for touring dates, festivals, concerts, seminars and club dates.
Website: www.plunkyone.com
Listen to samples of the Only You 4-song Maxi Single, click here:
https://soundcloud.com/plunky-1-1/only-you-4-song-sampler
Only You 4-Song sampler video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ypX2piavBM&;feature=youtu.be
