Quintessence

Last night I went to a staple of London's Neo-Soul/Nu-Jazz circuit;

'Independent Mix' at Cargo, Rivington Street-London, presented by dope Radio 1 D.J. Giles Petterson.

Went with a crew of buddies; the roster reading... (in order of appearance): Arash, Nava, Fernando, Navid, Sina, Afshin, Hooman and Mehdi.

Have to admit, was a little anxious to see what people thought- I put my aural trust in Giles, and the guys put their trust in me.

Bands playing:

1. Quintessence (Whatmusic label/Finland)
2. Outlines (Sonar Kollektiv label/France) Both bands were RED HOT.....i must say Outlines, were funkier, on a Stevie Wonder/Flea-slap bass tip....belting out some really mellow Nu-Jazz vibes....covering Herbie Hancock on the way, HeadHunters era...

Quintessence on the other hand was where the night climaxed, for me at least. Lead singer Emma Salokoski hypnotised the crowd with her sultry, yet understated Finnish sassyness......the voice of angel, if i must say, reminiscent of Erykah Badu and Amel Larrieux at times. I found myself closing my eyes and letting the bass and treble wash over me like mountain mist, especially the song 'Ballad in 6/8.'

The drummer 'Teddy Rok' was a character, he looked like a crack-head/puppet held up by strings.

The night was a success, everyone had a great time, i purchased the Quintessence album 'Talk Less, Listen More' which so far is amazing, while Navid bought Teddy Rok's solo effort.