Nathan Haines - Zoot Allure (2018)

Back in 2014, veteran Kiwi saxophonist and flautist Nathan Haines joined forces with regular collaborators Mike Patto, Vanessa Freeman and 4 Hero's Marc Mac on a limited-edition album called "5 a Day". Four years on, he's assembled the same team to re-record and remix it. The results are, for the most part, spectacular. Rooted in jazz-funk but also incorporating elements of boogie, hip-hop, nu-jazz and samba, "Zoot Allure" offers a near perfect balance of sunny vibes, expert musicianship, great songs and memorable dancefloor grooves. The latter aspect is emphasized by the presence of two superb, club-ready reworks of album highlight "Got Me Thinking" by Opolopo and West London broken beat legends Bugz In The Attic.