Video of the Day: Ruby Rushton share single 'Stapodia’ ahead of Jazz Café 22a 10th anniversary show
Mike Flynn
Friday, December 6, 2024
The leading underground jazz fourpiece unveil the video for the latest single ahead of headlining Camden’s iconic Jazz Café on Sunday 8 December
After a short hiatus from the studio, Ruby Rushton (the jazz quartet led by saxophonist/flautist Tenderlonious) are back with their first release since 2021’s EP Gideon’s Way. The new single, ‘Stapodia’ is presented on a limited edition 10" vinyl and is taken from their yet-to-be-announced 2025 album.
Earlier in 2024 the band – who also feature trumpeter Nick Walters, pianist/composer Aidan Shepherd and drummer Tim Carnegie – were invited to Mykonos as part of a collaboration between Maera Music and 22a, which allowed the band to spend a few days writing and recording some new music. It was an opportunity for the quartet to spend some time together in a secluded hillside villa without any distractions and ultimately kickstart the writing process for a long overdue album.
'Stapodia,' is named after an isolated island off Mykonos, and begins with an infectious downtempo groove in 4/4 accompanied by a catchy horn riff, which leads us to a distinctive Ruby Rushton time signature change - a strident 5/4 beat with punchy horn lines and soaring sax and trumpet solos. These build to a virtuosic drum breakdown, before taking us back to the head of the tune and finishing with a snappy ending.
'Kalo Livadi', the first track out digitally Nov 22nd, is also named after a local Mykonian landmark, begins at a frenetic pace and instantly pulls the listener into a kaleidoscopic soundscape of flutes, trumpets, synth bass and drums before ending abruptly and slowing down to a hypnotic hip hop groove, which sets the scene for a tasty keys solo. The drums then pick up the pace again and the band deliver some quick-fire flute and trumpet solos in a classic hard bop style, before settling back into a lazy Dilla'esque groove.
The Jazz Café show on 8 December is part of a tenth birthday celebration of their label, 22a, one of the UK’s most important and widely-respected independent labels. This will see a fiery live set from the band and a series of DJ sets from Tenderlonious and label members.
See the video below and stream the single here 22amusic.lnk.to and for more info and tickets for the Jazz Cafe visit thejazzcafe.com
