Whenever certain music has that qualifier ‘smooth’ attached to it when you want to describe the genre it belongs to, a lot of discerning listeners would immediately move to something else.
The reason lies in the fact that ‘smooth jazz’ or ‘smooth soul’ have become synonyms for modern musical wallpaper. Sure, excellent musicianship is more or less always there, but such music more often than not practically misses the other part of the description, like jazz or soul.
But what happens when such elements as jazz and soul are present in full force and that smooth connotation can still apply? Well, then, no matter what our preconceptions are, we get music that can be enjoyed thoroughly.
As case in point: “This Place (feat. Anubha Kaul)” by composer/producer Aman Jagwani, as an announcement for his forthcoming album of the same name (May 2021).
If this title song is anything to go by, Jagwani just might be the artist that’s capable of coming with something that is at the same time ‘smooth’ but also has solid substance and quality rooted in both jazz and soul.
By the sound of it, Jagwani has both genres in his little fingers as he is able to come up with a composition that comfortably fits in the soulful vocals of Anubha Kaul and a brilliant flugelhorn solo by Milena Casado.
Jagwani says that his idea was to come up with music “that is complex and sophisticated but still accessible and relatable.” If the “This Place” single is any indication, the album of the same name will be a cracker.
