Emma-Jean Thackray — Night Dreamer

EMMA-JEAN THACKRAY
CUT DIRECT-TO-DISC SESSION
FOR NIGHT DREAMER DEBUT (Order Now)

Emma-Jean Thackray, a leading figure of the UK jazz scene, releases “Um Yang, her long-dreamed project dedicated to her “Taoist” philosophy of duality and harmony. A highly ambitious and personal record, featuring Soweto Kinch and Steam Down’s Wonky Logic.

An accomplished trumpeter, beat-maker, singer, composer and DJ, Thackray draws on far wider influences than jazz. Her sound is distinctive; in the words of The Guardian “like Bitches Brew-era Miles entering the dub chamber with a New Orleans marching band – in a good way”. Since debuting in 2016 Thackray has directed the LSO, played the NY Winter Jazz Fest and gone “Against the Clock” for FACT TV. Championed by Gilles Peterson, Theo Parrish and Jamie Cullum, Thackray has firmly cemented her place among a new wave of exciting young musicians, collaborating with Nubya Garcia, Ezra Collective, Makaya McCraven, Junius Paul and Angel Bat Dawid.

Raised in Yorkshire, Thackray inherited a “Taoist” philosophy from her father, and approaches her music with the same pursuit of harmony between “Um & Yang” (the Korean Ying & Yang), balancing melody and rhythm, groove and free improvisation, cerebral and physical. For this one-off recording, Thackray has applied this ideology in every sense, even down to the ensemble itself featuring not one but two percussionists.

“Um” commences with ethereal interplay between keys, percussion, and Thackray’s trumpet, recalling the spiritual jazz of Alice Coltrane’s classic records. As the piece builds, an earthy groove emerges. On both trumpet and vocals, Thackray leads the ensemble further out until the piece peaks with an epic breakdown. On the flip, “Yang” starts on the same cacophonous note but progresses to a joyful groove before returning to a peaceful state again, balance restored.

“Um-Yang” was recorded by Night Dreamer Records at Artone’s vintage recording studio in Haarlem, Holland. “Recording in [Artone] was such a dream”, Thackray recalls. “It had all the fantasy analogue equipment you daydream about one day being able to use. The desk looked like something Uhura would use. All the instruments were natural, woods and metals, no plastic in sight, and everything was to be hit or blown, all analogue. I really needed everything to be natural and real, because the music is about the universe, about the energy of all things, and what is more real than that.” Honest sound to match truly honest music. With “Um-Yang”, Emma-Jean Thackray has created her most personal and defining work to date.