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Yes, this is the best album of the year. Not the best jazz album or the best jazzdance album, but the best period.

Club and Radio DJs are picking up on all the killer cuts. Gilles Peterson (Radio 1, Worldwide) once again was first on hand with ‘Mr Cosmic’, Cristiano Spillati had a whole ‘Paul Murphy Special’ and Urban Landscapes Radio show has also done the business. They won’t be the last as its non-stop brilliance. My only Hectic gripe is why did we have to wait so long for a debut album from the man?

It’s all great even if it’s only ten tracks, note the title track ‘The Trip’ is a good ten minutes long. And why ‘The Trip’? Well it was a trip in India that inspired the track and ultimately the whole album. But there’s more of that on the sleeve notes and the MySpace site.

We’ve already had a look at ‘Seven Samurai’ and ‘Budapest ChaChaCha’ but they still sound superb and I’m salivating for more. Not a pretty image and I got worried when I heard there was a rerubbed ‘Soul Call’ on the cards. This new long version of ‘Soul Call’, Paul describes as “a la Young Holt stylee Bass solo”. Now that’s a Soul Caauulll!

Not content with that, there’s a new funky (very funky) version of ‘Jazz Room’ with Mr Ashley Slater blowing the “bone on top and Roger Beaujolais doing Electric Piano solo.”

In fact, Mr. Roger ‘the vibes’ Beaujolais is a star on all the tracks he features on, especially the magnificent title track. I wonder if he’s coming to Shiftless Shuffle at Christmas? And while thinking about that, ‘Acid Jazz E d’ is to be pronounced as, “Acid Jazzed”; prepare for mind blowing.

Sticking with the Peterson link, he picked ‘Mr Cosmic’ (which is Paul’s ‘tribute’ to Zelkjo Kerleta of Cosmic Sounds). Of course, Peterson always states that Mr. M was his inspiration as a DJ back in the day and with the release of this album, he’s going to be more than an inspiration to DJs. The Trip is going to sweep everything aside this year and the reactions are going to be as every bit as positive as they have been for all his previous releases.

The fact there’s so many links in this may indicate I’m biased, not a bit of it — this is Paul Murphy at his brilliant best. Now, where’s me spats?

Hectic Mix nomination: ALL

Reviewed: Paul Murphy — The Trip (Afro Art) Cat.No. UELP01 Released: Nov 2006
Tracklisting:
1 Afro Artro (0:58)
2 Soul Call (5:15)
3 Budapest Chachacha (6:27)
4 Seven Samurai (6:36)
5 Arto Afro (0:25)
6 Herbie Mann (6:09)
7 The Trip (10:14)
8 Mr. Cosmic (6:05)
9 Baghdad (5:19)
10 Acid Jazz E d (5:25)

Links:
Available on iTunes (Clich HERE) and www.soulseduction.com
www.myspace.com/paulmurphythetrip
www.afroartrecords.com
Sunday 16 July : www.scanner.fm Paul Murphy Special
Paul Murphy — ‘Acid Jazz’ed (Afroart)
Paul Murphy — ‘Withnail + 1’ (Afroart)
Paul Murphy — ‘The Trip’ (Afroart)
Kid Loco — ‘Little Bit Of Soul’ (Paul Murphy Remix) (Bella Union)
Paul Murphy — ‘Bagdad’ (Afroart)
Jung Collective — ‘Wicker Man’ (Afroart)
Gilles Peterson — Tracklisting Sunday 20 August : Tunng live at the Green Man Festival
Nostalgia 77 Octect — ‘Desert Fairy Princess’ (Tru Thoughts) [Check: Horace Tapscott
Desert Fairy Princess (Nimbus)]
Paul Murphy — ‘Mr Cosmic’ (Afro Art)
Elizabeth Shepherd — ‘George’s Dilemma’ (Do Right Music)
Low Budget Soul — ‘Mystery Rose’ (Futuristica Records)
Aaron Jerome — ‘Dancing Girl’ (White Label)
Kelley Polar — ‘Ashamed Of Myself’ (Osunlade Remix) (White Label)
Tunng — ‘I Saw the Sun’ (Live at the Green Man Festival)