Stings, the third studio album from Kamaal Williams is a masterpiece and FunkCity.net’s 2023 Album of the Year. This large compendium stretches across 13 tunes and almost as many genres, from hip-hop to acid jazz to neo-classical. The diversity of the vibes keeps it interesting from start to finish.
In a year when there were many stellar releases, Stings stands out for its depth and breadth of scenic imagery. Each song is part of a colorful tapestry, conjuring up calming feelings at one turn (The Last Symphony, Little River) to adrenaline pumping energy at another (Stings, Dogtown).
Kamaal, born Henry Wu, rose to fame in part due to his collaboration with Yussef Dayes as the combo Yussef Kamaal. For this album, he assembled an absolute monster crew of Miguel Atwood-Ferguson for string arrangements, Sharay Reed on bass, Stephanie Yu on violin, DJ Harrison, and Greg Paul on drums.
Also, gotta give props to Atlanta’s Marquinn Mason on sax who crushes every track he’s on. Mason hooked up with Williams in Atlanta on Williams’ last visit here and subsequently toured with him as a prelude to this recording. I’m hoping that they’ll come back to Atlanta or nearby in 2024.
I’m really stoked about this album and hope that it will brighten the days ahead for many music cognoscente. Give a read and listen track-by-track.
Track By Track
The Last Symphony is a gorgeous piece composed by Williams and Atwood-Ferguson. It’s reminiscent of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, albeit on a smaller scale. It could be the opening track for a movie with a cityscape panning in the background. Atwood-Ferguson impacts the album dynamic immediately and the journey begins.
The Guvna starts with gritty keys-drums-bass followed by some string-like synths. It takes a cue from Quincy Jones-style 70s funk. Quinn Mason comes in for the B-section with sultry, echoing sax playing intermittently letting each phrase sink in. This tune could be played as a movie character walks down an alley or past a vacant lot with great tension and release.
Stings, the title track, moves and grooves bebop style with a fast-paced piano-bass-drums rhythm. Quinn kicks ass on this track alternately playing along with the repeating rhythm and playing the lead improv melody. For anyone who knows Quinn, it’s great to hear him shine so brightly. I expect that a lot more people will become fans from of his great work. The second half of the tune drops down a bit in volume before building back to the main theme. The fade with the rhythm section will be repeating in your head. This is one of the album highlights.
Little River is another mood relaxer. It features Williams and Mason playing off each other with bass and drums accompaniment. The wandering in and out of sync between piano and sax flows so seamlessly it’s no wonder the title selection of Little River is appropriate. William’s piano work is ebullient and Quinn’s echoing play at the end of the tune is perfect.
Dogtown is another party in your head starting right off with the great piano, bass and drum work followed by the “woo-hoo” shout. The pocket-groove makes you wanna move. The combo of piano and synth make this feel old school and new age at the same time. Sharay Reed’s bass pumping throughout is the backbone of the song especially on the break where it’s just him and the synth. The band exudes energy throughout this tune.
Repercussions has a mid-tempo, jazzy vibe. There’s terrific percussion and keys work laying down the guideposts. Mason and Williams take the main conversational voice working back and forth. The synth has nature-like ambient sounds with sultry sax easing in and out.
City of God comes from a different place. It’s a gorgeous, Spanish-sounding, largely acoustic piece with some amazing violin from Stephanie Yu and great acoustic guitar. A full-blown string section plays in the background with the violin-guitar combo rising in volume to meet the challenge.
Taiwan is an elegant pairing of Williams on piano and Yu on violin. The gentle connection between the two has Yu primarily leading with Williams accenting the up and down flights on the violin. In the second half, there’s a synth addition for a heightened sensation before Yu closes out with a sustained note.
Ronan is another slower-paced dramatic piece, this time with piano in the foreground and synth echoed in the background.
Magnolia is a solo piano piece from Williams, with a repeating chord theme that rises and falls as a journey over hilly, pastel scenery.
The Last Symphony/Magnolia has the opening track with lyrics overlaid that segues into an alternative version of Magnolia, this time with strings added in. It’s a fuller version of the song and combined they fit perfectly together. The last segment morphs back into the symphonic piece to bookend Magnolia in the middle.
Magnolia II is a remix with the excellent addition of Theo Croker on trumpet. Early on, it sounds like a car engine starting and then the drums from Corey Fonville kick in to make this version more hip-hop and jazz tinged. The closeout rises in pitch with a synth-trumpet power play.
PKKNO is a more futuristic DNB sound with rap vocals, pulsing bass, high bpm drums and techno synth. It’s one of the early- released singles, very different than the other tracks and a very gritty finale to the album.
Personnel
Kamaal Williams, keys
Miguel Atwood-Ferguson (Flying Lotus, Bonobo), string arrangements
Sharay Reed, bass
Stephanie Yu (Beyonce, Mariah Carey), violin
DJ Harrison (Butcher Brown)
Greg Paul (Katalyst Collective), drums
Quinn Mason, saxophone
Guests
Brian Hargrove, keys on The Guvna
Theo Croker, trumpet on Magnolia II
Corey Fonville (Butcher Brown), drums on Magnolia II