NEW ALBUMS
EMMA-JEAN THACKRAY
Funky, loved-up debut from rising London jazz trumpeter
Yellow WARP/MOVEMENTT
9/10
For someone who can be amusingly gobby and confrontational in concert, Emma-Jean Thackray’s debut LP is a surprisingly lovedup collection – check out the Rotary Connection harmonies of “Third Eye”, the Alice Coltrane-like happy-clappy organ rave of “Yellow”, or the Hinduthemed spiritual soul of “Rahu Ketu”. As a trumpeter, Thackray switches between scribbly Bitches Brew-style flourishes and Freddie Hubbard-style modalism, but she’s also a surprisingly soulful singer who knows how to construct a palpitating groove. Some of the best moments here are her twitchy funk miniatures, driven by tuba basslines, distorted Fender Rhodes riffs and chant-based vocals, which leave you wanting more.