Source (album)

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This article is about the 2020 album by Nubya Garcia. For other albums, see Source (disambiguation).

Source
Studio album by
Nubya Garcia
Released21 August 2020 (2020-08-21)
Recorded2019
GenreJazz[1]
Length1:00:49
LabelConcord Jazz
Producer
Singles from Source
  1. "Source"
    Released: 21 August 2020

Source is the second studio album by British jazz tenor saxophonist Nubya Garcia. It was released on 21 August 2020, by Concord Jazz. Described by Garcia as "a definite ode to musical history", the record expands on her jazz roots while incorporating dubstep, reggae, Colombian cumbia, calypso, hip-hop, soul, and African-diasporic sounds.[2][3]

Background and release[edit]

Source follows Nubya Garcia's debut album Nubya’s 5ive, issued on Jazz re:freshed in 2017 and the self-released EP When We Are (2018). Garcia and Kwes produced all tracks on the album. The album features her touring band members: pianist Joe Armon-Jones, double bassist Daniel Casimir and drummer Sam Jones. KOKOROKO members Cassie Kinoshi, Richie Seivwright and Sheila Maurice-Grey perform vocals on two tracks, with the latter also contributing trumpet and flugelhorn on two other tracks. The closing track, "Boundless Beings" features vocals from pianist Akenya.[4] According to Garcia, Source is about personal power, collective power, and collectivism. She told The New York Times: "It's about my heritage, my ancestry, exploring those places and those stories from my parents and my grandparents."[3] Recorded in 2019 in two studio sessions in her hometown of London and in Bogota, Colombia, the album serves a reflection of her hometown, paying homage to the rich cultural community of London.[2][3][5]

It’s a collection of thoughts and feelings about identity, family history, connections, collectivism and grief. Ultimately, it’s rooting yourself and getting grounded in yourself and in your community. I was thinking a lot about what powers people, what powers me, what feeds my soul. What’s the source of humanity’s power when the world’s falling apart? These are all thoughts I was having before the pandemic and social upheaval, and the movements that are happening now.

— Garcia on the conception of the album, DownBeat[6]

The record was announced in July 2020, alongside the cover-art and tracklist. The title track was served as the lead single from the album, and features guest appearances from saxophonist Cassie Kinoshi, trombonist Richie Seivwright, and Colombian band La Perla. Source was released on 21 August 2020 by Concord Jazz.[7]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.6/10[8]
Metacritic81/100[9]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[10]
Clash8/10'[11]
Gigwise[12]
The Line of Best Fit8/10[13]
NME8/10[5]
The Observer[14]
Pitchfork8.3/10[1]
Uncut[15]

At Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, this release received an average score of 81, based on nine reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".[9] At AnyDecentMusic?, which collates album reviews from websites, magazines and newspapers, they gave the release a 7.6 out of 10, based on a critical consensus of 10 reviews.[8]

In The New York Times, Marcus J. Moore described the album as a "grand achievement" in London's buzzing jazz scene.[3] Pitchfork's Andy Beta believed that the album established Garcia as a foundational voice in the buzzing London jazz scene. He considered the record as a "stunning introduction" in which Garcia "meditates on her humble family heritage, the continuum of jazz history, and the power of collective action in our present moment."[1] Similarly, Conrad Duncan of Clash praised Garcia's "exceptional" quality of playing on the album, while also demonstrating her artistry as a composer.[11] Thom Jurek of AllMusic lauded the album for its "adventurous, kinetic, and sophisticated approach in wedding modern composition, improvisation, and production to rhythmic and harmonic traditions" and listed it amongst the best jazz records of London.[10] Gigwise writer Emily Fortune praised the album as a bold attempt that explores her artistry and leans into the unknowns.[12]

In The Line of Best Fit, Stephen Loftin wrote that "Source is akin to an old friend you may not see for a while, but whenever you do, the world feels that little bit brighter and it’s as if no time has passed at all."[13] Writing for NME, Dhruva Balram felt that the record nods "to jazz greats of the past."[5] In The Observer, Kitty Empire classified the album as a multi-mood record that celebrates "the power of the collective and the heritage of the African diaspora."[14] Louis Pattinson from Uncut described the record as "deeply melodic, brilliantly played, and blessed with a spirit that feels generous and boundless."[15]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks have been written by Garcia and produced by Kwes. Akenya has writing credits on track 9.[16]

Source track listing
No.TitleLength
1."Pace"7:53
2."The Message Continues"6:45
3."Source" (ft. Ms MAURICE, Cassie Kinoshi and Richie Seivwright)12:08
4."Together Is a Beautiful Place to Be"7:36
5."Stand with Each Other" (ft. Ms MAURICE, Cassie Kinoshi and Richie Seivwright)3:39
6."Inner Game"7:45
7."La cumbia me está llamando" (ft. La Perla)4:15
8."Before Us: In Demerara & Caura" (ft. Ms MAURICE)8:01
9."Boundless Beings" (ft. Akenya)2:47
Total length:1:00:49

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from Tidal.[16]

  • Nubya Garcia – producer, writer, tenor saxophone (all tracks)
  • Kwes – producer (all tracks)
  • Daniel Casimir – double bass (all tracks)
  • Joe Armon-Jones – keyboards, piano (all tracks)
  • Sam Jones – drums (all tracks)
  • Giles Barrett – recording (all tracks)
  • Cassie Kinoshi – tenor saxophone (track 3), featured vocals (track 5)
  • Ritchie Seivwright – featured vocals (tracks 3, 5)
  • Sheila Maurice Grey – featured vocals (tracks 3, 5), trumpet (track 4)
  • La perla – featured performer (track 7)
  • Diana Sammiguel – vocals, maracas (track 7)
  • Giovanna Mogollon – vocals (track 7)
  • Karen Forero – vocals (track 7)
  • Akenya – featured vocals, writer (track 9)

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c "Nubya Garcia – Source". Pitchfork. 25 August 2020. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b Homewood, Ben (26 August 2020). "On The Radar: Nubya Garcia". Music Week. Archived from the original on 25 October 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d J. Moore, Marcus (17 August 2020). "Nubya Garcia, Tapping Into the Past to Make Jazz for a New Generation". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 August 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  4. ^ Flynn, Mike (16 July 2020). "Nubya Garcia goes back to the Source for debut solo album and releases epic title track as first single". Jazzwise. Retrieved 14 October 2020.
  5. ^ a b c Balram, Dhruva (20 August 2020). "Nubya Garcia – 'Source' review: London saxophonist showcases city's entire jazz spectrum on breathtaking debut". NME. Archived from the original on 30 September 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  6. ^ Edwards, Tina (11 August 2020). "Nubya Garcia On Identity, Accessibility And Independence". DownBeat. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  7. ^ Hussey, Allison (16 July 2020). "Nubya Garcia Announces Debut Album Source, Shares New Song: Listen". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 10 August 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  8. ^ a b "AnyDecentMusic? Review". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  9. ^ a b "Metacritic Review". Metacritic. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  10. ^ a b Jurek, Thom (20 August 2020). "Source – Nubya Garcia". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  11. ^ a b Duncan, Conrad (21 August 2020). "Nubya Garcia – Source". Clash. Archived from the original on 2 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  12. ^ a b Fortune, Emily (17 August 2020). "A Brave Debut offering an abundance of firsts". Gigwise. Archived from the original on 1 October 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  13. ^ a b Loftin, Steven (17 August 2020). "Nubya Garcia's solo debut is a timelessly fresh jazz adventure into identity". The Line of Best Fit. Archived from the original on 12 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  14. ^ a b Empire, Kitty (23 August 2020). "Nubya Garcia: Source review – a virtuoso's generous solo debut". The Observer. Archived from the original on 3 November 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  15. ^ a b Pattinson, Louse (11 September 2020). "Nubya Garcia – Source". Uncut. Archived from the original on 26 September 2020. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
  16. ^ a b "Source – Nubya Garcia". Tidal. 21 August 2020. Archived from the original on 31 January 2021. Retrieved 31 January 2021.
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