Beyond the term simply appearing within the album's title, "neo-soul" as a musical genre and an ideal proves a concept that weighs heavily throughout the latest release from keyboardist Mark Adams.
The genre's very lineage has been intertwined with Adams' own musical journey over the last twenty years notably through his time serving as the musical director and keyboardist for the mighty Roy Ayers and his Ubiquity ensemble.
Long-dubbed "the Godfather of Neo-Soul", Ayers' music proved pivotal to the genre's genesis during the mid-90s. With his music sampled by names including Mary J Blige, A Tribe Called Quest and Digable Planets, to covers of his songs by D'Angelo and Ronny Jordan, even as far as collaborations that paired Ayers with Erykah Badu and Eric Benet, the indelible imprint of Roy Ayers' music permeated through to subsequent generations of R&B, hip-hop, jazz and neo-soul ensuring his own musical legacy.
With Adams himself having been immersed within the world of Roy Ayers for close to thirty years, 'This Is Neo-Soul' proves an exciting extension of the genre's - and Ayers' own - musical journey and one that fully embraces the genre's lineage celebrating the boundless potential that still lays ahead of it.
Credited for keyboards on Ayers releases that date back to the 90s including 'Nasté' (1995), 'Spoken Word' (1998) and 'Smooth Jazz' (1999), Adams' own catalogue has seen him helm the full-length projects 'Asceticism: A Portrait of Jazz', 'Embellishments (The Q&A Project)', 'Love & Dance' and 'I Forgot to Remember to Forget' conveying his own affections for jazz and composition as well as establishing Adams as a solo artist in his own right. The Baltimore-born artist has cultivated a flourishing career that has seen him celebrate music as a performer but also - as an educator and author - relating its importance within the lives of others. His commitment to making music and jazz accessible to audiences and prospective musicians alike has gone on a long way in shaping the passion within his own craft.
'This is Neo-Soul' assembles an extraordinary dream team of vocalists and musicians, all stemming from a litany of ensembles including Chic vocalist Kimberly Davis, trumpeter Kenyatta Beasley, vibraphonist Monte Croft and a selection of Roy Ayers stalwarts including bassists Chris DeCarmine and Donald Nicks, vocalist John Pressley and saxophonist Dave Mullins.
And while neo-soul is undoubtedly the album's driving motif, the ten-track release doesn't limit itself to a single interpretation of the genre and - in typical Ubiquity fashion - injects a healthy dose of 70s-inspired jazz-funk into proceedings. Evident through tracks like the Lonnie Liston Smith cover of 'Expansions' and the take on Ayers' 'Don't Stop', Adams & Company run the gamut of contemporary soul and jazz presenting a sensational showcase for the full range of neo-soul's vast makeup.
While 'This is Neo-Soul' conveys respectful homages to the genre's architects and forefathers, Mark Adams' perception of neo-soul is to regard it as a thriving and evolving style of music with this album reaffirming his own place within its ongoing conversation.
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