Joe Armon Jones All The Quiet (Part II) [Bonus Track] (BRC786) Japan Music CD

Product Description
Joe Armon-Jones, a London-based keyboardist, composer, bandleader, and producer and member of the Ezra Collective, releases his first album in six years on his own label, Aquarii. This album is a two-part masterpiece, consisting of 'All The Quiet (Part I)' and 'All The Quiet (Part II)'. 'All The Quiet' represents a new artistic pinnacle for Joe Armon-Jones, who understands the essence of jazz and sound and captivates many with his tasteful piano playing. While artists such as Ashebah, Green Tea Penn, Woo Lu, and Yasmine Lacey participate, Joe handled all the composition, production, and mixing, showcasing his true abilities as a pianist and songwriter. Since his 2019 solo album 'Turn To Clear View', Joe Armon-Jones has been actively working at the heart of the currently thriving UK jazz scene. He tours the world, has established his own studio, contributed to various projects in the UK jazz scene, and collaborated with Maxwell Orwin, Hak Baker, and dubstep pioneer Mara. The origins of "All The Quiet" lie in the lockdown period. Seeking creative inspiration, Joe Armon-Jones was inspired by King Tubby's groundbreaking productions and the feeling of experiencing a live dub sound system firsthand, and taught himself how to use a mixing desk. Eventually, he built a studio at home equipped with a reel-to-reel tape machine and spring reverb, and began experimenting with mixing using recordings of his solos and ensembles, and testing the results at his friends' South London sound system, Unit 137. He says this method is not much different from jazz improvisation, and he comments, "I became obsessed with exploring the sound world of dub. I applied that process to jazz, funk, and all the music I love." The recording of this album took place intensively over four days at Livingstone Studios and Press Play. He played alongside elite musicians such as drummer Natcyet Wakili, bassist Mutale Chashi, percussionist Kwake Bass, and the horn section including Nubya Garcia, Ezra Collective comrades James Mollison and Ife Ogunjobi. After recording these sessions on tape, he moved on to a thorough editing and production process. By adding his own vocals and synthesizers, and weaving in nuances of dub delay and echo into the bass and drums, he created a sound that was both intricately textured and imbued with the freedom of improvisation. As the album took shape, Joe Armon-Jones became increasingly conscious of its theme. He arrived at a fantastical tale of sonic knights fighting to protect the soul of music in an era rife with indifference and hostility towards the creative spirit. While seemingly fanciful, it contains a serious concern about the current state of affairs where music is being commodified and losing its value. Joe Armon-Jones commented, "It's like the ultimate culmination of what we're seeing right now." To express this story, his longtime visual collaborators, Divya Scialo and Ralph Berryman, created the artwork and comic book included with the deluxe LP of 'All The Quiet'. Themes of freedom, community, and resistance permeate 'All The Quiet' as a whole. In the lead single, "Kingfisher," West London dub poet Ashebah sings sweetly about community, celebration, and revolution. And with Yazmin Lacey featured, the cool and confident "One Way Traffic" closes out 'All The Quiet Part II' as the final chapter of the dub reconstruction. But this is undoubtedly Joe Armon-Jones' work. It is a powerful statement that deeply expresses the power of music to move people, while also demonstrating a strong will to protect it. [Joe Armon-Jones] A South London-based keyboardist, composer, and bandleader. A graduate of the influential jazz education program Tomorrow's Warriors, and one of the founding members of the Mercury Prize-winning quintet, Ezra Collective. His exceptional piano playing and improvisational talent are widely recognized, and he has been a sought-after collaborator, participating in projects with artists such as Moses Boyd, Nubya Garcia, Seed Ensemble, and Tony Allen. In 2018, he released his solo debut album, "Starting Today," on Giles Peterson's Brownswood label. The following year, 2019, he released "Turn To Clear View," featuring Georgia Anne Muldrow (Brainfeeder) and Obonjayar (XL). This album, a luxurious fusion of jazz, funk, and rap, was highly acclaimed and selected as one of Time magazine's top 10 albums of the year. In 2021, he established his own label, Aquarii Records, to provide a platform for his solo and collaborative works. In 2022, he released the EP "A Way Back" with dubstep pioneer Marla, and in 2023, he released the club-oriented album "Archetype" with his long-time creative partner Maxwell Owin. And in 2025, he completed his biggest creative project to date, the epic album "All The Quiet."