Artiste: Sunship aka Ceri Evans
Spotlight Track: The 13th Key
Label: Dorado
Catalog: DOR007
Released 16 years ago, this little known single didn’t really get the attention it deserved when it went to market. Quite sad, cos when I first heard the record, it really blew me away. Dare I say… Acid Jazz at it’s FINEST! Truly reminiscent of the Dorado vibe, this track showcases a nice blend of shiok-a-doo chuggy-like breaks, soaring euphoric strings and that rolling jazz piano scaling as the cherry-on-top. This is what you call.. a total track. Woooyeahhh… the vibe is still kickin’ even when I listen to it today. That’s when you know a song is FRESH ; )
I feel compelled to reveal a bit more about Sunship aka Ceri Evans because like Matt Cooper of Outside, I really feel these two honchos of the Acid Jazz movement were seriously overlooked. So anyway, here goes >> Ceri Evans first appeared on the scene 17 years ago in 1991 with a track he released called ‘Sunship’ on Acid Jazz Records – founded by Eddie Piller and Gilles Peterson (yes, this was before Gilles’ started Talkin’ Loud!)
Prior to this, he was already doing remixes and productions for artists like Naughty by Nature (Hip Hop Hooray), Jungle Brothers (40 below) and James Taylor Quartet (Hope and Pray). I guess it was with the James Taylor Quartet where Eddie Piller discovered Ceri’s talents which resulted in the Acid Jazz record thereafter.
After the Acid Jazz release, Ceri then signed on to the Dorado label with a MOBO award winning album titled ‘Sunship’ as well. Today, Ceri Evans has extended his portfolio of work with artists like Christina Aguilera, Texas, Craig David and Morcheeba. So as you can see.. pretty much a force to be reckoned with.
Before I sign off, I would like to urge you to check out this brillant single from the masterful Ceri Evans. With the sun coming out in full force these past few weeks, it’ll be a great musical accompaniment while you’re lying on the beach watching bikini-clad volleyball and frisbee activities ; )
Tangkap This!!!
-Crispian
