If Sonar Kollektiv (the label) and Jazzanova (the producers) didn’t spoil us enough with Christian Prommer’s Drumlesson Vol. 1 (that was based around jazz interpretations of some classic modern electronica), Guaranteed Niceness is the big band equivalent but concentrating on the big tunes from Jazzanova and some other Sonar Kollektiv artists.

Gilles Peterson was on this at the end of last year and the SKO played live at the big 10 Years, Who Cares? birthday party in Berlin so it seems the wait for this album has been endless. Its certainly worth the wait as this album is so good; the tracklisting speaks for itself.

If Prommer’s version of the Âme classic ‘Rej’ was stunning, the SKO version, at near on 10 minutes, is equally mind blowing. Big string intro for a start, how good is that? Don’t forget Âme are will be at the Big Chill this year in the Need2Soul tent. Talking of Big Chill, Fat Freddy’s Drop will be in attendance and they are represented here with the cover of the Best Seven track ‘Midnight Marauders’ (the original also featured on 10 Years, Who Cares?). Now don’t think orchestra and reggae, this is a solid big band version that Volker Meitz arranges superbly.

And what a choice he’s got to pick from. Lead by no less than six vocalist (Esther Cowens, Wilson Michaels, Georg Levin, Lisa Bassenge, Sascha Gottschalk and Clara Hill), Caroline Siegers, Anja-Susann Hammer and Sibylle Strobel (string section), Nikolaus Neuser, Dirk Steglich and Petra Krumphuber (brass section), Kalle Kalima (guitar), Micatone (bass), Rainer Winch (drums) and Philipp Kullen (percussion).

Georg Levin and Clara Hill originally did ‘(I Got) Somebody New’ and there’s a also the big track by Deympert, ‘Held Him First’ that sounds better now than it did in 2003; and that was huge then (No. 11 in the Worldwide All-Winners).

As you can imagine, the office went balmy to the version of Volkers’ own ‘(Mayibuye I) Africa’ which itself is a continental shift re-interpretation of George Duke’s Latin-jazz-disco classic ‘Brazilian Love Affair’.

There’s a couple of ‘mixes’; Micatone’s Run with Jazzanova’s ‘Fedime Flight’ and ‘No Use’ with ‘Another New Day’ that work better than you’d first imagine (Meitz at it again!). Strangely, the opening track ‘L.O.V.E. And You & I’ (like ‘Another New Day’ that was originally on the massive In Between album) is a little flat. I think that’s only in comparison as ‘Boom Clicky Boom Klack’ certainly makes up for it (you’ll recall this track came out on GP’s last throw at Talkin’ Loud on the album Gilles Peterson Worldwide Exclusives).

So 10 years of classic tracks interpreted with big band orchestra crammed into one album that is Guaranteed Niceness! Top album of the year, can’t be faulted.

Reviewed: Sonar Kollektiv Orchester - Guaranteed Niceness (Sonar Kollektiv) Cat. No. SK170CD Release date: 26th May 2008
Tracklisting
1. L.O.V.E. And You & I (Jazzanova)
2. Held Him First (Deyampert)
3. Ain’t no Dream (No Use Introduction) (Jazzanova / Meitz)
4. No Use / Another New Day (Jazzanova)
5. Rej (Âme)
6. (I Got) Somebody New (Georg Levin)
7. Midnight Marauders (Joe Dukie & DJ Fitchie)
8. Run / Fedimes Flight (Micatone / Jazzanova)
9. Silent Distance (Clara Hill)
10. Atlantic (Thief)
11. Boom Clicky Boom Klack (Jazzanova)
12. Africa (Meitz)
13. How To Find Royal Jelly (Lost Scrolls Of Hamaric)

Links
www.sonarkollektiv.de
www.jazzanova.net
www.last.fm/group/jazzanova
Gilles Peterson :: 31st December 2003 :: ***Top 20 WW Cuts of the Year***
11. Deyampert - ‘Held Him First’ (Sonar Kollektiv)