Freedom Fables (2021)

"Guitarist Tom Excell's Nubiyan Twist is one of the more substantial groove-based fusion outfits orbiting the perimeter of Britain's alternative jazz world. The band, based in Leeds, combines soul, funk, modal jazz, hip hop, and West African Afrobeat and highlife in a dancefloor-friendly melange which is a whole lot of fun while also possessing some depth. On "Freedom Fables", cameo appearances include previous guest vocalists Ruby Wood and Cherise Adams-Burnett , an outstanding young singer who is destined for greatness, and first-time additions to the line-up, alto saxophonist and rapper Soweto Kinch and Ghanaian highlife vocal stylist Pat Thomas. Lyrically, the album touches on serious subjects such as the objectification of women, and colonialism and its legacy. Ultimately, "Freedom Fables" is more of a visceral than cerebral experience, but, as George Clinton so memorably put it, "Free your ass and your mind will follow". (AllAboutJazz)