Monterey J – Welcome 2 South London: South London-based jazz and neo-soul songwriter, vocalist, and multiinstrumentalist Monterey J releases his anticipated sophomore album Welcome 2 South London .
An ode to the sprawling creative underbelly of South London, the album features some of the best talent from south of the river, aiming to champion and tell the story of a thriving artistic community. As well as his own saxophone, bass, guitar, piano and synth work across the album, the album features a cast of talented instrumentalists; Joey Robbins (drums), Tay Harvey (bass), Dan McConkey (tenor sax) as well as as guest appearances from Telica (guitar), Marika (vocals), Hillarynx (vocals) and Southsidefinn (rapper). Fronted by Monterey J’s own elegant vocals and brilliant alto sax work, the album captures a series of compelling, groove orientated tracks.
Recorded across Cable Street Studios and Lightship 95, and produced by Grammy-nominated Teo Marangon (best known for his work on Keyon Harrold’s Foreverland), Welcome 2 South London showcases rich musicality – from its sprawling jazz flavoured instrumentals, to melancholic, melodic and inventive songwriting that capture a true and pure essence of artistic creativity through rich soundscapes which bring together elements of neo-soul jazz and R&B.
Speaking about the album, Monterey J explains: “This project tells the story of my personal experience in the creative community of South London. After producing and recording my previous album almost exclusively on my own, I decided to experiment with the process of collaboration, treating these songs as if they were a story told by a multitude of different voices. In my experience, South London is a place of great artistic freedom with a touch of healthy competitiveness and I really wanted to share my journey through music showing both the highs and the lows of navigating through an exciting time of my life in the city.
The recording process revolved around trying to create something new, my own spin on the sounds that I love. Teo and I recorded in two great studios (Cable Street Studios, Lightship 95) but that didn’t stop us from looking into alternative solutions: for instance, one of the setups we ended up liking the most was recording my saxophone with an extra microphone in Teo’s bathroom to pick up a great natural reverb that we couldn’t really replicate in the studio.”
With his distinctive approach to genre-fusing and his roots in both Italy and London, Monterey J continues to carve a lane all his own. With growing support across the likes of DMY, Atwood Magazine, Fame, Atwood, Notion, Illustrate Magazine and Hoxton Radio, while his live shows have seen him headline renowned venues including 91 Living Room, Two Palms, CLF Art Lounge, and The Cavendish Arms. Notably, he’s also performed at a showcase hosted by Greentea Peng.
‘Welcome 2 South London’ is due August 1st July via Minds Aye Music and distributed by AWAL.
Monterey J – Welcome 2 South London
For music submission, click here
