Mark de Clive-Lowe - CHURCH Sessions (2019)

Dubbed “an underground phenomena” by Okayplayer, Mark de Clive-Lowe describes his party CHURCH as “equal parts jazz club, dance party and live remix experiment”. The multi-hyphenate pianist, DJ, live remixer, composer and producer has been hosting the party in Los Angeles, New York and around the world since 2010, redefining ideas of what to expect from both jazz and DJ culture - at the same time. Seamlessly blurring the lines between genres as he creates and remixes live on stage with mind-boggling deftness, de Clive-Lowe invites special guests who have run the gamut from the likes of Kamasi Washington to the late great Leon Ware and alt-pop songbird Kimbra to avant-jazz flutist Nicole Mitchell and many more.

“If Duke Ellington had been a DJ, this might be what he would have done,” muses the LA Weekly - and they’re not far wrong. De Clive-Lowe has remixed the legendary Blue Note Records catalog and collaborated with the likes of Kamasi Washington, DJ Spinna and legendary jazz-funk progenitor Harvey Mason. Now, he celebrates the 9th year of his party with the release of CHURCH Sessions - curated and produced by de Clive-Lowe along with contributions and collaborators from all around the world. Leimert Park griot Kamau Daaood makes a rare appearance on record opening the proceedings with his invocation calling forth the spirits of community, creativity, friendship and music. Two cuts from Colective Arte & Manha debut a new project de Clive-Lowe has assembled with Portuguese artists in Lisbon.

Brooklyn rapper John Robinson and LA vocalist Joy Jones both deliver spirited performances and new stories with their respective tracks. Stro Elliot of the legendary Roots crew makes up one third of the team alongside Detroit hip hop producer 14KT and de Clive-Lowe for a three-part beat suite of head nod heavy flavors. Ethio Cali’s Todd Simon and Te’Amir join in for the dancefloor jazz of "ESSS (Love the Space)" in homage to the Ethiopian Space Science Society. Italian drummer/producer Tommaso Cappellato offers his “Ancient Prophecy”, a brooding cinematic break-beat excursion with de Clive-Lowe on keyboards. To take us home, New Zealand drummer/producer Myele Manzanza closes out the set with an imaginative trio interpretation of the Bobby Hutcherson classic “Montara”, stretching the original motif almost to breaking point.

Mark de Clive-Lowe is a half-Japanese, half-New Zealander, LA-based pianist, producer, live remixer and composer. He spent a formative decade at the heart of London’s broken beat movement and since relocating to LA has become a regular fixture and evolved into his next chapter of artistic growth and exploration. Over his 20+ year recording career, he released 16 albums along with hundreds of remixes and studio collaborations. De Clive-Lowe is most often to be found in an airport or on a plane en route to his next international performance - spreading his sounds worldwide.