Review: Rosa Brunello - We Are Surging Waters (Domanda Music)

This is the third album by bassist/composer Rosa Brunello on Domanda Music and 'We Are Surging Waters' has lubricated our world / jazz / experimental / dance view like a refreshing spring!

This is bonkers!  Can you imagine Batov Records and the Noslagia 77 team taking on Derek Bailey with Eno (in his non-ambient periods) a la Ze Records on Radio 3 with some jazzdance free style percussion?  And then some!

This is no Ellie Wilson 'Listen To The River' (see review HERE) but you've got to be 'Living Upstream' to get this.  Rosa wasn't in this mood when she was gigging with Dee Dee Bridgewater (Ed. perhaps she was?) as this is the best "headlong rush shaped by extensive improvisation and reduced post-production, capturing the album’s raw energy and sense of forward motion" track you're likely to hear anyway.

Supported by a large supergroup featuring Yazz Ahmed and Tamar 'Don't Be Cruel' Osborn (see HERE) the album stretches (more like a rack than yoga) from Middle Eastern traditions to improvisation, disco, jazz and dub.

Wonder if Rosa is up for a remix of 'Listen To The River' or Bolbec (see HERE, new album coming soon) but I think we could do with long versions of some of the tracks, particularly the synth mad 'Witching Hour'.

I'd like to think if Mingus was around today, this is what he'd be doing!

BUY LINK / Pre-Order: We Are Surging Waters | Rosa Brunello

Artist: Rosa Brunello -

Title: We Are Surging Waters

Release date: 6th May, 2026
Label : Domanda Music
Catalog Number : TBC
Format:  Vinyl / Digital / Streaming / Bandcamp

Rosa Brunello: Composition, Electric Bass, Double Bass, and Djembe
Yazz Ahmed: Trumpet, Flugelhorn
Tamar Osborn: Baritone Saxophone, Flute
Luca Tapino: Trombone
Enrico Terragnoli: Guitar, Synthesizer
Maurice Louca: Synthesizer (We Are Surging Waters, Witching Hour)
Marco Frattini: Drums, Percussion
Tommaso Cappellato: Drums, Percussion (We Are Surging Water, Fish Without A Bicycle, Living Upstream, Memory In The Making)
Rabih Beaini: Mixing, Sound Design

 

Review: Collettivo Immaginario - Oltreoceano (Domanda Music)

If you've heard 'Vento Eterno' featuring the great Dwight Trible, you know you want the album 'Oltreoceano'.

You'll know Mr. Trible from his time at Ninja Tune and his connections with Carlos Niño, he of 'Everyone's Children' (see review HERE), you'll there's no better interpretive spiritual jazz skat-free vocal and he's brilliant on 'Vento Eterno'.  In fact, he's a true successor to Andy Bey (who has recently passed RIP) who'd worked with, amongst many more, Lonnie Liston Smith and the instrumental tracks on this album are heavily influenced by that 'Expansions'/'Space Princess' jazz-funk/jazz dance period.

Sticking with vocals, Dwight's reputation made inroads into the LA/West Coast scene where Canadian Maylee Todd has also had a release on the Stones Throw/Ninja Tune labels and features on the track 'Alberoni'.

I wonder if they'll be any remixes?  I'd be thinking Medlar (with his 'Island' album - see review HERE), he'd be good in the 'Oltreoceano'.

Just to be clear, this is great jazz-funk music and they must be fantastic live - see flyer of the Summer Tour 2025 line up.

Artist: Collettivo Immaginario 

Title: Oltreoceano
Release date: 16th May, 2025
Label :Domanda Music
Catalog Number: TBC
Format: Digital / Bandcamp