Blue To Red [LP], Chip Wickham, Vinyl

Chip Wickham returns with his most absorbing and cosmically-charged offering to date. Soaring flute melodies, lush harp arpeggios and glistening Rhodes keys interact across six journeying, spiritual jazz compositions leaning on a rich palette of sounds beyond borders, space and time. Channeling the spirit of Alice Coltrane and Yusef Lateef via the lens of a hip-hop, electronic and club music educated ear, Blue to Red encompasses Wickham's disparate set of production influences with his Manchester and spiritual jazz education. Recorded, produced and mixed by himself, Wickham's meticulous approach to production and unswerving ambition led him to a phenomenal group of musicians across the UK's thriving jazz scene, including Sons of Kemet and Mulatu Astatke drummer, Jon Scott, Fingathing head honcho, Simon 'Sneaky' Houghton (double bass/cello) and Nightmares On Wax affiliate Dan 'JD 73' Goldman (keys). Making up the lineup is Gondwana Orchestra alumni Amanda Whiting, whose celestial and mystical harp playing is a particularly prominent and enchanting feature of the record.