michele manzo: all rise
Francisco Espregueira
Coming together in the most natural, organic way, Michele Manzo’s different influences are reflected in his new LP All Rise, released through Darker Than Wax. While jazz and funk are at the core of Manzo’s musical foundation, the Italian artist deftly draws upon his inspirations in hip hop, dub, and Brazilian music as both an instrumentalist and producer, crossing styles with ease and delivering high-levels of groove consistently.
All Rise was entirely recorded live, using bass, synth bass, guitar, old analogue keyboards, blended together with modern synths, dub delays and ambient fx - giving off the familiar warmth of boom bap and progressive stimulation of neo-soul. Heavyweight collaborators like Georgia Anne Muldrow, Dudley Perkins, Nicholas Ryan Gant and RayClev join in to compliment Manzo’s tapestry with poetic ammunition, aiming to hit the turbulent social climate of America and the world at large. The amazing MC Blue Matter collaborates with his trademark style in the videos. Everything in this very diverse work is harmonious. Available in vinyl, for the collectors.