When I encountered Shades of Jade two or three years ago, I was thrilled that a group of Kansas City based musicians shared my passion for the forward-thinking jazz of artists like Christian Scott and Robert Glasper.
Fingerprinted Memories, Pt. 1, the new album by Shades of Jade, makes good on the band's promise by melding the pleasing R&B groove of smooth jazz with post-bop sophistication. Anyone who listens to D'Angelo's Voodoo and the 1980s output of Miles Davis will feel right at home with the project.
An energetic pulse is maintained even during the most rambunctious solos of trumpeter Josh Williams and his band mates. The sinewy rhythm of "I Want My Money Back," the urgent melody of "Dynasty" and the experimental production of "Day Dreaming" are among the album's many highlights.
Fingerprinted Memories, Pt. 1 may not be the best jazz album released by area musicians in 2014, but it's almost certainly the most accessible.
(Original image by Plastic Sax.)
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