Lydian Collective is not new to Vodka, but I’m not-so-patiently waiting for the follow-up to the absolutely fabulous Adventure LP, named Return, due out in almost exactly one month (May 27, 2022). November (seen/heard here), which is not new compositionally to the band, will finally have a home on an LP, and that is a very good thing indeed! Vodka coined the phrase “joyful jazz” to define the music that Lydian Collective creates. In truth, it…
Read MoreJoyful jazz aficionado’s Lydian Collective return to Vodka with what will no doubt be one track on the upcoming, as yet unnamed, LP, due out sometime this year. (No release date has been set.) Shuffle Bubble (seen/heard here) picks up where tracks like Thirty One from LC’s previous March 2018 LP left off. Frankly, Vodka cannot wait for the new LP! Shuffle Bubble has a wonderful question and answer section where keyboard (Aaron Wheeler), lead guitar (Todd Baker), and bass (Ida Hollis) all play the same melody line in mini-solos, one following the other, while the beat is laid down…
Read MoreIf you are unfamiliar with The Laszlo Project but know about the sound that Lydian Collective makes, then there will be an immediate connection to this music. The reason is that The Laszlo Project is the side project of Lydian Collective founder, Aaron Wheeler. He is joined here by Lydian Collective drummer, Sophie Alloway, Simon Joyner on trumpet, Michael Underwood on saxophone, and Phoebe Wright-Spinks, vocals. Phoebe uses her vocals as an instrument here and you will swear this is a 100% instrumental track! Like Lydian Collective’s music, The Laszlo…
Read MoreOne of the best jazz fusion groups of all time, at least in Vodka’s opinion, is Lydian Collective. Their latest single Out Of The Woods (heard here), builds on the formula that this group has mastered: joyful, accessible jazz, played with a passion fitting the devotion that the individual members dedicate to it. It’s a winning formula, driven home by the commercial and critical success that Lydian Collective has amassed since jumping into the music scene with Adventure in March 2018. That, of course, isn’t the whole…
Read MoreIt’s been a few weeks now since I first introduced Vodka readers to Lydian Collective with the review of East and a nod to the LP. With the single release of High 555, I’ve got high hopes for another LP in the future. I’d like to highlight the joy with which these musicians play their music. Pay particular attention to the beaming smile of Sophie Alloway (drums). The bandmates obviously love performing their music-all of them-but Sophie is the picture of pure joy here. Lydian Collective’s embrace of everything…
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