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You’ll also know Russ Dewbury as host of the world famous Brighton Jazz Rooms (now in i’s incredible 20th year), the New Jazz Spectrum Radio show, DJ and compiler of albums like Club Africa and Africafunk.

We last met Ben Mitchell as a producer on the Bukky Leo album Afrobeat Visions but he also records as Sao Benitez, is a prolific remixer (including Masters At Work, Seu Jorge and Jimmy Smith), worldwide DJ and member of numerous collaborations such as Mr. Hermano and Hipnosis.

So there’s no faulting the musical pedigree of either of them and their reputations and contacts have meant they are able to include credits on the album like Terry Callier, Fertile Ground, Bukky Leo and vocalist Billie Godfrey and Lizzie Rendall.

So if you’re a DJ, you need big tunes. So what better policy than to make your own anthems like, the Spiritual South sounding ‘Beyond The Rains’ and ‘Rapping With The Gods’, ‘Living…Am I Living’ (with Bukky Leo) and ‘Jazz Is Your Life’. That’s four big tunes on one album!

If that’s not enough, there’s definitely some Light Of The World and Incognito British heritage of soul, jazz and funk inspiration. With no little skill and updated production, you’ve got a sound for today, fine examples being ‘Love Is Flowing To Love’ (ideal for Southport?), ‘Spaces & Places’ and the funky ‘Globetrotter’.

A few for fans of Peterson, it’s the ever fresh folk-jazz of Terry Callier and the Lizzie Rendall track, ‘Kaleideoscope’ (with a great vibes solo) and the brilliant scatting by Marc Frank on ‘My Words’ (reminiscent of Leon Thomas).

The album finishes with a high on ‘Jazz Is Your Life’ (if it wasn’t them, I’d swear it was a Paul Murphy track) and a Drumagick Mix of ‘Beyond The Rains’, a version of which that got onto Gilles Peterson in Brazil compilation.

Hard to believe there’s a better album than this coming out and if you found any of these tracks as a dusty 7” you’d be ecstatic, so be ecstatic when you get the CD.

Hectic Mix nominations: ‘Jazz Is Your Life’, ‘Kaleidoscope’, ‘Beyond The Rains’, ‘Rapping With The Gods’, ‘My Words’, ‘Globetrotter’, ‘Living ..Am I Living’ [that’s a special album!!]

Reviewed: The Mitchell & Dewbury Band - Beyond The Rains (Mr Bongo Records) Cat. No. LC12527 Release date: 23rd April 2007
Tracklisting
01. Beyond The Rains Featuring - Billie Godfrey (4:46)
02. Rapping With The Gods (6:54)
03. Love Is Flowing To Love featuring Billie Godfrey (5:31)
04. Space And Places Featuring Fertile Ground (4:39)
05. Darker Than A Shadow Featuring Terry Callier (5:58)
06. Kaleidoscope (Wheel Within A Wheel) Featuring Lizzie Rendall (5:23)
07. My Words with Hipnosis & featuring Mark Frank (6:24)
08. Globetrotter (5:59)
09. Living.. Am I Living Featuring - Bukky Leo (6:30)
10. Jazz Is Your Life (5:43)
11. Beyond The Rains (Drumagick Remix) (7:40)

Links:
www.buymrbongo.com
www.myspace.com/russdewburymusicwww.myspace.com/mitchellanddewbury
www.jazzbop.co.uk/jazzrooms
www.southportweekender.co.uk
www.myspace.com/fertilegroundmusic