Since she dropped a slew of tracks on Soundcloud just over two years ago, things have been a bit quiet on the recording front for vocalist Liz Elensky, but with summer just around the corner here in the UK, she returns once more to bless us with a little taster of what might just be on the horizon again. As one of the voices behind the successful Emanative project (fronted by British producer/drummer Nick Woodmansey), Liz already has a number of features to her name and having spent much of the past couple of years singing backing vocals for the likes of Cecilia Stalin (not to mention guesting for us here at The Jazz Meet) it looks like the time might just be right for her to finally step back into the spotlight.
This newly released track, entitled ‘Distractions’ is the first single from that elusive début long player and benefits from an array of musical talent providing a deliciously deep backdrop to the singer’s ethereal harmonies. With such a collection of musicians brought together from the across the Emanative universe, it will come as no surprise that the first origins for the music came from the very same recording sessions that produced the trailblazing Steve Reid tribute ‘Lions of Juda’ which was released back in 2011 by Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood Recordings imprint (a full album inspired by that single is already in the pipeline). With the two Nicks (Woodmansey and Hayward) laying down the original rhythm on which the foundations were built, Marc Rapson (Fender Rhodes) and our very own Jessica Lauren (Clavinet via Mutron III and vintage synthesizer dub sonics!) set about taking things to the next level. Add in the combined talents of Ben Hadwen and Tamar Osborn on Horns and Woodwinds, and it soon becomes a little clearer how that little session went down in the intimate surroundings of East London’s Wax Recording Studio that day.
Of course though, it’s all about the vocal on this release, and having immersed herself in the works of Syreeta, Minnie Ripperton, Stevie Wonder and the music of the much revered Black Jazz Records catalogue, Liz steps into the booth to write and deliver a powerfully uplifting ode to striving to achieve in her own veritable style. You can stream and download the song (plus instrumental) below and if you’d like to add it to your collection permanently, then it’s available to pick up for less than the price of a morning coffee. Support and you never know, this may even make it onto a slab of fresh vinyl…