OHM Dedication Series #3: Ahu presents Blossom Dearie

Ahu presents Blossom Dearie is an endearing, funny, relaxing and classic jazz mini-mix for a Sunday of chilling and recovering from whatever you got yourself into Saturday night. This mix is by Ahu, a Turkish singer on OHM who has worked with Flying Lotus and other legends in progressive and downtempo music. Her mix honors Blossom Dearie - an American jazz singer with an incredible voice and great sense of humor, which is a major part of her songwriting, live jazz and bebop performances. She was a staple in the New York supper club scene in the 60s and 70s, and this mix makes me want to travel back in time, drink Manhattans and see her live.

Most of what I blog about has a strong electronic component, but I love to share other classic downtempo sounds that have been an inspiration for today's music and lately its come in the form of jazz. This mix is the 3rd in OHM's Dedication Series, where OHM Label's artists and DJs share their love of artists that have inspired them.

OHM Dedication Series #2: JD Twitch x Adrian Sherwood

The second mix in the OHM Dedication Series showcasing legendary and behind-the-scenes influential artists is another must listen. This mix - JD Twitch presents Adrian Sherwood - showcases downtempo dub and industrial electronic music produced by British artist Adrian Sherwood, including his work with Lee "Scratch" Perry, Prince Far-I and Tackhead, among others. (Paraphrased from One-Handed Music's description via SoundCloud) There are two parts to this 3-hour mix - the first is more electronic and industrial oriented, the second is more dub oriented:





Here's more about the mix, direct from One Handed Music via SoundCloud: "As one half of Optimo, JD Twitch is amongst the most respected DJs in the UK and his free-spirited genre-hopping approach makes him one of our favourites too."

"JD Twitch says it best: 'For my ears, Adrian Sherwood is the most sonically innovative producer the UK has ever given birth to. If you don't know anything about Mr. Sherwood or his ON U Sound label, either do a bit of Googling, have a listen to this mix or read this interview I was fortunate enough to conduct a couple of months ago (when he was in Glasgow) that is on the Racket Racket website.'

JD Twitch continues: "In my late teens and early 20s, Adrian Sherwood's work impacted on me more than anything I had previously heard and made me think about sonic possibilities in a completely new way. I would buy any record he had been involved with unheard and got into a lot of other artists purely because he had been involved with making their records. Indeed, my nom de plume "Twitch" came from a record he produced. It was a complete labour of love to do [this mix] and a revelation to hear how fresh and wild this music still sounds."

OHM Dedication Mix Series #1: Beautiful Swimmers present Don Cherry

I recently received a mix from the One Handed Music (OHM) label and the Beautiful Swimmers out of Washington, D.C. that educated me about a legendary jazz artist who influenced the downtempo music that I love today. This mix - the first in the forthcoming OHM Dedication Series - was curated by Beautiful Swimmers (musician based in D.C.) to showcase the influence of Don Cherry - an African-American jazz musician who helped pioneer and showcase avant-garde jazz around the world from the 1950-70s, playing with legends such as John Coltrane and Sonny Rollins. Listen to the mix and keep reading to learn more about Don and his jazz and world fusion sounds:



Don Cherry specialized in the jazz trumpet and cornet - a compact version of the trumpet that creates mellower sounds. He was a jazz purist who emphasized the power of the single note, but didn't hesitate to use "smearing" techniques to bend and blend notes to create distinct sounds. Over the years, in his own exploration of music led him into world fusion where he experimented with Middle Eastern, African and Indian sounds.

I've been listening to and showcasing a lot of electronic music these days, but i'm really glad I got this email from OHM label turning me on to their dedication mix. Jazz is such an important influence on music in general, especially on the downtempo music that I love, ranging from trip hop to acid jazz. This is incredible listening - you'll hear the jazz, the world fusion, and the old meshed with the new.