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Release Info:

Jazz/Funk fraternity The Baker Brothers release their new album, High Rez, on early in 2017. Their first release since 2014’s highly acclaimed Hear No Evil, High Rez explores new territory for the band, mixing, drum n bass, hip hop and house into their trademark soul sound. The album also features some of the group’s signature straight up funk instrumentals alongside vocal collaborations with New Orleans soul songstress Acantha Lang and rappers Mike Beatz from Jamaica and Miami’s Lex One.

High Rez is The Baker Brothers’ tenth studio album and is both vibrant and laid back. The album presents an easy coalescence of smooth soul and down-and-dirty funk colliding with drum and bass, hip hop and housey vibes. The album is produced by Keiron Bailey who worked with Pedley on part of the soundtrack for Quentin Tarantino’s ‘Django Unchained’, of which a version also appears on the album Hear No Evil.

Album opener The Tide Is Turning sets the scene as Starsky & Hutch take us for a high speed chase round Bay City, California with Roy Ayers and Jimmy McGriff competing for air-time on the 8-track. Goodbye My Angel fuses the polished jazz funk of Jamiroquai with the bouncing brass of the Dap Kings. Standout track Million Times Before mixes a bass heavy hip hop beat and is completed with raps from Jamaica’s Mike Beatz and Lex One from Miami. Knocking on Your Door is set to an agile drum ’n’ bass rhythm with Acantha Lang’s blissfully bluesy vocals evoking the earthy energy of Etta James and the grit of Tina Turner.

The album allows the listener to pause for breath during the slower, saxophone-led Love Like This. The mellow and evocative Back in the Game features keyboard noodlings reminiscent of Ronnie Laws, and the deep soul of Bring The Sun is all smooth sailing! The beat whips up again as Lay it On The Line combines bossa nova and afro beat with Lang’s soulful vocals before Things We’ve Done Together closes the album with a mellow stroll in Shuggi Otis/Weather Report’s stripped-back soundscape.

Hi Rez Track Listing & Credits: 1- The Tide is Turning (C.Pedley) 2- Goodbye My Angel* (C.Pedley/P.Young) 3- A Million Times Before** (C.Pedley/ A.Cruz/M.Barnett/K Bailey) 4- Knocking On Your Door* (C.Pedley/T.Carrasco) 5- Love Like This* (C.Pedley/P.Young) 6- Back In The Game (C.Pedley) 7- Bring The Sun (P.Young/Pedley) 8- Lay It On The Line* (C.Pedley/A.Lang) 9- Things We’ve Done (C.Pedley)

The Baker Brothers are: Chris Pedley – Bass/Guitar/Keys/Backing Vocals/Keys Paul Young – Sax/Balafon/Vocals Geoff Lai – Guitar/Vocals Scott Baylis – Trumpet/Keys/Synths Theodore Carrasco – Drums/Percussion

Special guestsz: *  Acantha Lang: ** Lex One and Mike Beatz

Hi Rez is produced by Kieron Bailey.