Kuma - Honey & Groat (2022)

Ever since jazz took its bop and free turn, each generation solved this eternal equation: how do you reconcile serious music and simple pleasure? On each of these occasions opinion was divided between orthodoxy and hedonism.
Trained in the theoretical rigours of classical music and jazz, experts on their instruments, and brought up on hip-hop culture, techno and house club scenes, Matthieu Llodra and Arthur Donnot - composers of KUMA – go against the conventional rules because they like to challenge their musical boundaries.
Honey & Groat is just like a bear (KUMA in Japanese, emblem of the band): behind the sweetness and apparent placidity, plenty of power. The resulting urban groove is reminiscent of 70’s soul jazz with a contemporary sound: where instrumental talent meets pop simplicity.

KUMA's band members:
Matthieu Llodra - Keyboards
Arthur Donnot - Saxophone
Fabien Iannone - Bass
Maxence Sibille - Drums

Guests:
Léo Chambet - Voice on 'Der Küss'
Shems Bendali - Trumpet on 'Feux-gris'
Zacharie Ksyk - Trombone on 'Feux-gris'
Cyril Moulas - Guitar on 'Tardigrada'

Tracklist:
1 01. Kuma - Medved Minor (04:52)
1 02. Kuma - Niffty Teddy (03:50)
1 03. Kuma - Knut the Great (05:05)
1 04. Kuma - Feux-Gris (06:57)
1 05. Kuma - Trois petits beusseukeu (feat. Shems Bendali & Zacharie Ksyk) (04:09)
1 06. Kuma - Novaïa Zemilia (03:36)
1 07. Kuma - Tale of the Two Tails (04:15)
1 08. Kuma - Der Kuss (feat. Léo Chambet) (05:49)
1 09. Kuma - Tardigrada (feat. Cyril Moulas) (03:01)