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Shuffle Sundays #45 ā¢ Laura Mvula, Shuffle Guest Andrew Paul Neesley, Laura Zalenga, & more!
Hello and welcome toĀ Shuffle Sundays, a weekly newsletter with music recommendations to help you find your next obsession.
This week weāre listening to a sexy new album that draws inspiration from the best pop music from the 80s, learning more and getting recommendations from this weekās Shuffle Guest, feeling inspired by portrait photography, checking out some new music released this past week and more. Enjoy the read!
š§Ā Soundtrack: JĆ³nsi - Obsidian
š½ Ā» Laura Mvula - Pink Noise
r&b, soul ā¢ 10 songs ā¢ 38 minutes
Pink Noise is the third studio album from English singer Laura Mvula, released a few months ago on July 2nd. It is such a mature record, that sometimes is hard to believe that itās only the third, in her almost decade-long career. Apple Music describes Pink Noise as a āsexyā album, and I couldnāt agree more. From the opening with Safe Passage to the closing with Before The Dawn, Mvula throws us into a world that dives into the pop music of the 80s but, instead of feeling dated, it serves as a delicious nostalgia and a big homage to the artists of that era, which you should easily recognize right away. In times where most artists are revisiting disco music or trying (too hard) to sound like The Weeknd, itās refreshing to listen to an album that feels safe while exploring its own identities.
Listen on Spotify | Apple Music | YouTube
š£ Ā» Shuffle Guest: Andrew Paul Neesley
Back to inviting guests here since I announced the transition 4 months ago, today Iām bringing the multi-faceted Andrew Paul Neesley with some personal recommendations to you. Hope you enjoy!
š£ Ā»Ā Tell us a bit about yourself.
My name is Andrew Paul Neesley, and Iām a multi-instrumentalist, composer, and performer known primarily as a trumpet player. Iāve played and recorded with a wide variety of iconic artists, from Lady Gaga and The Roots to James Taylor and Chris Botti, and in a diverse mix of bands, including NYC favorite Jesus On The Mainline and Nees and Vos with Chris Vos of The Record Company. After a successful career performing extensively and contributing to various Grammy-nominated albums, Iāve spent 2020ās quarantine honing my guitar skills and developing new music for my solo debut as Andrew Paul.
šØš»āš¤ Ā» A recent album/artist that you discovered and you can't stop listening to?
This one got me. I must listen to certain music as a matter of course for my various working musician gigs. Lately, I had to memorize āHit āEm Up Style (Oops!)ā by Blu Cantrell. My listening habits are often heavily skewed. Having said that, here are a few nuggets I canāt get out of my head. Iām either late to every party, extremely early, or have no idea Iām at the party in the first place (so to speak.). Judge accordingly.
š„Ā Ā» The best concert you have ever attended?
Big question! Iāve heard incredible performances in my life. A few come to mind immediately:
Dawn Upshaw with Maria Schneider: DuringĀ Winter Morning WalksĀ recording sessions I was bouncing around helping out. I designed a number of Mariaās albums, and this was one. One afternoon I sat down to listen to Dawn sing. I was well aware of both Mariaās and Dawnās genius, but something that afternoon resonated deeply. A profound musical statement was being given. I canāt quite put it into words, but Iāve described it as angelic.
Anything Brass Band of Battle Creek: My father played in a legendary English-style brass band. Much of my youth experience in the business came from the BBBCāI have a zillion experiences from that ensemble. From listening to Vince DiMartino and Danny Barber crush āSing, Sing Singā or Steve Mead serenade on āWhen Jesus Weptā, or any number of experiences in betweenā¦ simply put, some of the best brass musicians to ever touch their instruments. I was lucky to have an arrangement of mine played while I soloed alongside Wycliffe Gordon.
Walter Smith III: MSM gave a concert at Jazz Standard and the band was playing rep music. Walter was so swingingā¦ Iāve heard many examples of genius. That was one of them. Simply swinging.
Jason Isbell: Iāve seen Jason a handful of times. The night I recall is from The Beacon. He didnāt have much flash. Only a great band, playing great songs. Thatās is all you need. Nothing else. Around the golden ratio point of the show, he hits a guitar solo. All he needed to pump it up a notch was to step five feet forward into a spotlight. No fireworks, no flash, no-nonsense. It blew your hair back.
Lady Gaga: I was playing keyboards for a friend at Gramercy Theater. Him being friends with Gaga, I knew there was a chance sheād show up. I feel a microphone whiz past my head. I look up and sure enough there she is whipping a mic around and working the crowd. There was a lot of boozing and partying that night. But damnā¦ the force of her voice was to be respected.
š½ Ā» The first album you remember buying it. Do you still enjoy it?
Blue Train by John Coltrane. Writing "I still enjoy it" doesnāt scratch the surface. It informed the entirety of my initial jazz composing, alongside Slide Hampton and Mike Mossman. It did for many. Those voicings are classic sounds. There isnāt a week where I find myself daydreaming and donāt have a Lee Morgan (trumpet) solo from Blue TrainĀ pop into my head. I spoke to Curtis Fuller (trombone) about the album during a college residency at Betty Carterās Jazz Ahead at The Kennedy Center. It was a surreal experience to hear about that session from the horseās mouth; he knew immediately how much I loved those sounds when he heard my own writing.
š¤ Ā» If you could only listen to one album for the rest of yourĀ life, which one would it be and why?
Uff da. Another big one! I donāt think I could live without Joshua Bellās Presenting Joshua Bell. Itās part nostalgia, part very deep musical connection, part emotional connectionā¦ His playing, and those compositions, changed my life. The album opens with 11 seconds of silenceāitās stirring every time I put it on.
š Ā» Where can people find more about you/your work?
Instagram:Ā https://andrw.pl/IG
Email List:Ā https://andrw.pl/list
ā”ļø Ā» Visual Inspiration
Laura Zalenga is a German-based Photographer specializing in portraits and self-portraits full of dramatic surrealism and visual poetry. Check out her website or InstagramĀ for more. Here are some favorites:
š¶ Ā» New Music
This weekās new albums I'm particularly interested in checking out:
Also, new singles from Charli XCX, Castello Branco, Silk Sonic, alt-J, Green Day, and many more. If youāre curious to hear some of these songs and more, make sure to followĀ my 2021 playlist on Spotify, updated weekly with new releases:
šš¼ See you next Sunday!
My name isĀ Leo MascaroĀ and you are receiving this email because you signed up for Shuffle Sundays, a weekly publication that aims to bring music recommendations for people who feel overwhelmed with so much content out there, helping you find your next favorite artist, album, genre, and more. If this email was forwarded to you, subscribe using the box below:
If you found anything inspiring in this Newsletter, have something to share with me, or just feel like saying hello, reply to this emailĀ and let's start a conversation!Ā Know someone who would enjoy something from this issue?Ā Have a friend or two who is looking for someĀ musical inspiration? PleaseĀ share it: