- Formed in "98" Jazzgrooves is funded by the NSW government's Ministry for the Arts and run by a collective of musicians/artists whom felt that Sydney's scene was seriously lacking a platform from which emerging and established jazz musicians could launch their music and ideas. Sydney based act Ends & Means dishes up their self titled album, playing Livid and supporting acts like Koolism, Wicked Beat Sound System and airplay on the J's hip hop show sees these boys on the ride up.
With an abundance of quality Hip Hop acts around this fresh sounding mesh of live instrumental tunes and lyrics backed up by Hyjak and Torcha, throws 6 tracks at you leaving you waiting for the next release.
On the low churns out some head nodding bass riffs, snare hits and smooth vocal interludes, pushing the live feel and making the most of having a funk/jazz band at your side. The punching horn stabs, lyrics and spoken word of Spoonfed serve up a track showing what this acts all about, full percussive "live" music and real talent on the mic.
A short interlude Smada features Torcha on the mic with some percussive accompaniment that's a cut'n'dry tune that easily could have gone double the 1:40. Kye from Wicked Beat Sound System and Hyjak take up Big Deal a slower paced layed back track with smooth bass guitar travling through all the way. Rather than giving focus to the vocals all throughout the album they blend together tune and word keeping it up constantly giving the impression of live recordings straight from the floor. None more testament to this than Jackson's Dream putting in the whole band's effort and dropping in some funky saxophone it sums up the outro and a well produced album.Defiantly a live act that should be witnessed.
1. On the low feat. Hyjak and Kye
2. Spoonfed feat. Hyjak, Torcha and Kye
3. Smada (Interlude) feat Torcha
4. Big deal feat Hyjak and Kye
5. The science feat Kye,Eso,Hyjak and Torcha
6 Jackson's dream (outro)
Cameron Deyell: Guitar, Samples
Jasper Leak: Bass
Ian Mussington: Drums
Matt Keegan: Sax & Maestro
Gerard Masters: Keyboards & Samples
Richard Belkner: Audio
Hyjak & Torcha: Vocals
Kye: Vocalsate.