Manzanza is a New Zealand born, London based jazz musician and producer who I stumbled across during lockdown. I heard a track somewhere and rushed off to buy his latest album (at the time) called ‘Crisis & Opportunity Vol 1 - London’. I was instantly sold.
I then pestered him on Twitter trying to get a release date for further work and sure enough, ‘Crisis & Opportunity Vol 2 - Peaks’ followed. This was preordered, delivered and obsessed over. Now ‘Vol 3 - Unfold’ has been released and it has caught me off guard as the sound has evolved from excellent Modern Jazz into something more likely to get you on the dancefloor.
The album initially feels like a departure from the previous two volumes, it is more electronic and blurs the lines between jazz and dance-inspired music (think of artists like Ishmael Ensemble/The Comet Is Coming/Ezra Collective…but with less saxophone, Manzanza is a drum playing band leader).
There are some guest singers on the record including China Moses from America, Rosie Frater-Taylor from London and Manzanza’s compatriots Wallace and Rachel Fraser. Also featured on the record is soul legend Omar (he of early 90’ banger ‘There’s Nothing Like This’ fame) who adds layers of cool to Manzanza’s funky composition ‘Therapy’.
Tracks To Try: ‘’Gone Up In Flames’, Falling Fast’, ‘Therapy’, ‘Unfold’