zara mcfarlane with dennis bovell: east of the river nile
Francisco Espregueira
Zara McFarlane is a major talent in the world of British jazz. Her debut album, 2011’s Until Tomorrow, collected rave reviews, and since then she has been a distinguished name for jazz aficionados. The 2017 follow up, Arise, is a matured work of art, ambitiously drawing many influences: from the deep spiritual jazz of Pharoah Sanders to dub and reggae. Once again recording for Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings label, she’s back linking up with legendary producer Dennis Bovell for a new single: East Of The River Nile.
A sublimely talented vocalist, Zara McFarlane carves out a soulful, reggae - and dub - influenced sound, marrying the rhythms of her Jamaican heritage with a finely-tuned jazz musicality. Delivering four different reinterpretations of the title cut from Augustus Pablo’s 1977 classic album, East of the River Nile, her crystal-toned vocals guide us through the original’s melody. Available in vinyl.