Bilal

An artist whose music I’ve come to appreciate over the last six months is the singer & songwriter Bilal Oliver. When getting slightly better acquainted with neo-soul, his was a name I often saw mentioned. Having sampled a few of his tracks on YouTube I ordered a copy of A Love Surreal (2013), & loved it. Soon after I acquired In Another Life (2015), which I liked nearly as much. Both are idiosyncratic and inventive albums, some creative distance away from the neo-soul epicentre. Favourite tracks: ‘Right at the Core’ from the former record; ‘Satellites’ from the latter.

I was excited to learn of the release recently of two new albums of his: Live at Glasshaus and Adjust Brightness. I gather the singer is backed on the former by a band including Robert Glasper and Questlove; and that many of the songs on it were originally written for his never officially-released second album Love for Sale (2001-03). Inconveniently for me, it was only issued as a limited US-only double LP, with import copies arriving in the UK priced at a prohibitive £70. Adjust Brightness as far as I know has had no physical release at all – at least not yet. I could hear it all on-line but that doesn’t align with my weird, old-fashioned listening habits. I hope there are eventually CD releases of both.

To anyone with 98½ minutes to spare, I can heartily recommend A Tribute To Curtis Mayfield: a fitting orchestral tribute to the great man featuring the WDR Big Band; the WDR Funkhausorchester; a quartet of guest musicians on guitar, bass, drums and additional percussion; and with Bilal and Ledisi providing the vocals. It’s a beautiful thing!