June 10, 2020
Announcing Blue Note Re:imagined, a brand new collection of classic Blue Note tracks, reworked and newly recorded by a selection of the UK scene’s most exciting young talents today. Representing a bridge between the past and future, the project will feature contributions from a rollcall of internationally acclaimed jazz, soul and R&B acts – Shabaka Hutchings, Ezra Collective, Nubya Garcia, Mr Jukes, Steam Down, Skinny Pelembe, Emma-Jean Thackray, Poppy Ajudha, Jordan Rakei, Fieh, Ishmael Ensemble, Blue Lab Beats, Melt Yourself Down, Yazmin Lacey, Alfa Mist, and Brit Award-winning Jorja Smith, whose version of St Germain’s “Rose Rouge” is released today. The full Blue Note Re:imagined album will be released on October 16.
The track, which originally appeared on St Germain’s 2000 Blue Note album Tourist, was itself based on a sample of Marlena Shaw’s “Woman of the Ghetto” from her 1973 album Cookin’ With Blue Note At Montreux. Smith’s stunning new version takes its cues from classic soul, jazz and reggae and perfectly captures the enduring Blue Note aesthetic.
Blue Note boasts an illustrious catalog that traces the entire history of jazz, and the Re:imagined project features music originally created by some of its most legendary artists. Alongside Smith’s reworking of Rose Rouge is Ezra Collective’s version of Wayne Shorter’s Footprints plus interpretations of tracks by the likes of Herbie Hancock, Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Henderson, Donald Byrd, Eddie Henderson, McCoy Tyner and Andrew Hill.
Having seen cross-pollination with a multitude of genres over the last few years, including grime, trap, afrobeat and hip-hop, the new UK jazz scene has enjoyed much-deserved mainstream recognition. Blue Note Re:imagined reflects this melting pot of diversity and shines a light on an energetic, free-flowing movement that continues to flourish.
