WIN - Jazz FM's Album of the Week

There’s real alchemy at work here on DIG!, the 6th studio album by UK 5-piece band Mamas Gun - a rare creative brotherhood of passionate musicians with a knack for making music that sounds and feels timeless.

Andy Platts - the songwriting frontman with the golden falsetto; Drummer Chris Boot – the band's backbone, supplying the heaviest grooves with a jazz player's lightness of touch; Bass player Cameron Dawson, flowing and fearless echoing the spirit of James Jamerson but with a melodic sound uniquely his own; Terry Lewis, a guitarist whose taste, feel and vocabulary bring a crucial warm old school authenticity, and last but by no means least; Dave Oliver, a dynamic keys player whose profound command of the piano, wurlitzer and hammond organ joins the dots from jazz to gospel to soul with ease.

And what a sound this is – truly authentic, organic and deeply soulful - all recorded by engineer/studio owner Neil Innes straight to 16 track analogue tape at All Things Analogue Studios in Leeds, UK. The mission statement: To capture the sound of 5 individual musicians at the very top of their game, coming together to bring 11 lovingly crafted songs to life in a way that celebrates the best of the past and the present. The result is hugely successful, yielding intimate performances that put you in room with the band whilst the magic unfolds.

Of the groups main motivation, Andy Platts says “For us, success is not about selling millions of records, but making better records with each step we take and to be able to really connect to people through the music.”

“There’s a strong truth to what we do,” says Cameron Dawson. “It’s about us as a group, five musicians in a room, bouncing off one another, getting into the groove, you can’t fake that, it’s as real as it gets.”

“And importantly we’re having fun,” adds Dave Oliver, “because making music with friends like these is the most fun it gets! I think you can hear that on our records”.

DIG! is certainly a special album, furthered so because it sees the group team with the legendary American artist Brian Jackson, Gil Scott Heron's songwriting partner and collaborator of artists including Roy Ayers, Earth Wind & Fire, and whose work is still frequently sampled by the likes of Kendrick Lamar. Featuring on the stand out jazz-funk styled title track DIG!, the collaboration feels like a band high point. “What an absolute honour!,” chimes Chris Boot. “Brian is a proper legend, we were overjoyed to hear he was already a fan of our music. Working with people like Brian who inspired us as developing musicians back in the day is really something.”

ALBUM OF THE WEEK COMPETITION ENTRY

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