Stapodia

After a short hiatus from the studio, the Tenderlonious-led jazz quartet Ruby Rushton are back with the first single from their forthcoming album, presented on a limited edition 10" vinyl.

Earlier in 2024, the band - also featuring trumpeter Nick Walters, pianist/composer Aidan Shepherd, and drummer Tim Carnegie - were invited to Mykonos as part of a collaboration between Maera Music and 22a. This allowed the band to spend a few days writing and recording some new music in a secluded hillside villa without any distractions, kick-starting the writing process for a long overdue album.

Stapodia, named after an isolated island off Mykonos, begins with an infectious downtempo groove in 4/4 accompanied by a catchy horn riff. This leads to a distinctive Ruby Rushton time signature change - a strident 5/4 beat with punchy horn lines and soaring sax and trumpet solos. The song builds to a virtuosic drum breakdown before returning to the head of the tune and finishing with a snappy ending.

Kalo Livadi, also named after a local Mykonian landmark, starts at a frenetic pace and instantly pulls the listener into a kaleidoscopic soundscape of flutes, trumpets, synth bass, and drums. It then abruptly slows down to a hypnotic hip hop groove, setting the scene for a tasty keys solo. Just as you get comfortable, the drums pick up the pace again, and the band delivers quick-fire flute and trumpet solos in a classic hard bop style before settling back into a lazy Dilla-esque groove.