After I've listened to Jazzhole's new album Circle Of The Sun (their fourth studio album) I really regret that I haven't heard of them before because I really like their sound.
Jazzhole is a collective of various talented musicians build around the core members, the songwriting and production trio Marlon Saunders, Warren Rosenstein and John Pondel. Their sound on Circle Of The Sun is a relaxed inspired mixture of soul, jazz, acid jazz, retro, lounge and latin. Imagine musicians like Maxwell, Sade, Fertile Ground, King Britt, Five Point Plan or Incognito doing a record and you get the idea how good Circle Of The Sun sounds.
With 12 fine songs it's hard to choose a highlight since there's no dull track here and each song has got its own killer potential.
Jazzhole even did a wonderful cover version of Depeche Mode's ballad Enjoy The Silence, by the way a good idea not to go for an obvious choice to do a cover but to cover a song that's certainly more known with a pop audience. Just love Michelle Lewis' voice and the tablas on this song.
Another cover version comes with Leon Russell's Superstar that's sung by Cameroon-native Kaïssa Doumbè in Duala, her mother tongue. Kaïssa is also featured on the title track Circle Of The Son, a slight bossa, and Ndolo, a pleasant midtempo groover.
Marlon Saunders is another excellent vocalist featured on the opener Love Philosophy, a great neo-soul inspired song. His voice can also be heard on Who Do You Love?, another groovy soul/jazz winner here, on the laid-back A Little Dress For Mary and on A Love Thing. The fourth singer on this album is Lucia Iman on the slow and hypnotic Three Days.
Together with the latin influenced instrumental Um Ritmo Meu Sono, that features some fine percussion by Daniel Saddownick, we get one of the first great albums in 2003 that's highly recommendable. Make sure you get a copy soon!


(for more information visit jazzhole.com; and cdbaby.com)