Nana’s Sunday Jams: Image Of You - Red Snapper ft Alison David

Published on 2020-11-08 00:00:00 by Nana Fani-Kayode

Banner a_rtwork by the majestic Trav, all of Nanas jams are gathered in_ this playlist.

Yes, yes, Sunday Jammers! Hello! It feels like it’s been a minute since my last long word. Thanks so much to Patron Will Soer for stepping in last week and for the most beautiful jam by the incredible Nilüfer Yanya! Heart, heart, heart. So incredibly gorgeous, big love to you, boss.

Back on the Jazz Train

So, after the interlude, I am back on the jazz train with a stone-cold, classic banger. This is one of those love laments that travels deep inside your bones and resonates with any part of you that remembers the pain of love: being in it, losing it, or just being totally confused by it. A true unrelenting ballad—beautiful and intense. It’s a track that calls for your full attention, and I dare you to keep the tingles at bay.

The track is ‘Image of You’, by Red Snapper featuring Alison David, a vocal tower of soul talent. This is an example of jazz layering at its finest, a trademark of Red Snapper, experts in mixing acoustic instruments and electronic textures. The bassline owes its heritage to jazz, but the layers build into soul, blues, rhythm, and electro rhythms, all pushed along by a heart-wrenching, raw double bass.

A Symphony of Emotion

This gem was prompted by a friend who has very kindly been following the weekly posts, pulled deep back into his very extensive music collection. It pulled me right in as I was wandering back through the sodden streets—an all-encompassing five-minute symphony, providing the backdrop to David’s raw cry. In it, she vows to step out of the shadows of a lover who has forgotten why they loved her, instead seeking to control and then remould her in their image. A poisonous, toxic love that has done nothing but slowly consume. David’s commitment in the vocal lays it all out: bare and raw, and Red Snapper weave together the sonic tapestry that gives her the fuel.

This is a beautiful example of the fiery elements of Jazz, in contrast to some of the polite forms that often frustrate me. This track hangs off the emotion, barely contained, beautifully constructed, and threatens to break out in the flip of a note or bang of a drum; standing on the edge of chaos. This track always reminds me of Massive Attack’s ‘Unfinished Sympathy’, another electronic symphony, with slightly different musical sensibilities but the same emotional and musical reach.

A slightly darker vibe for your Sunday, but worth it. Yes, Red Snapper. Find a corner, Sunday Jammer. Emotional wrestling optional. Loves.

Written by Nana Fani-Kayode