TuneSmith

Parov Stelar

Shine

When? One requires some recreational high jinks

Why? It’s designed to bring out the rogue in sir

Sampling or bastardising music from the past is certainly not a new trick. The leading exponents of today’s European electronic music scene have been doing it with aplomb for years, if not decades. Following in the footsteps of Kruder & Dorfmeister, Jazzanova and Koop, comes Marcus Fuereder, aka Parov Stelar. A DJ from Linz in Austria, Fuereder moulds the swinging spirit of jazz into modern soulful dance music. The grooves are rife with the echo of the Thirties Charleston or the big-band swing of Ellington, making the album attractive to lounge lovers as much as nightclubbers. Shine is not groundbreaking, but it is a playful romp with a roguish twinkle in its eye.

Cassandra Wilson

Loverly

When? Real class is called for

Why? This is supremely elegant vocal jazz

Bringing fresh grace to well-known material is never easy for jazz singers when performing standards. However, Cassandra Wilson pulls it off with a revitalising style. Capturing a great sound, taken from a low-key recording session at a rented house in her hometown of Jackson, Mississippi, the album benefits from her own simple and unhurried arrangements. With the help of Nigerian percussionist Lekan Babalola, guitarist Marvin Sewell and pianist Jason Moran, Wilson puts real flair into ‘Dust My Broom’ and ‘Lover Come Back To Me’. The result is an impeccable accompaniment to any dinner party at which being grown-up is a necessary act.

Journalist, DJ and music consultant Rob Wood is director of Music Concierge, which provides bespoke music-programming services to hotels. Email him at: rob@musicconcierge.co.uk