Crossover, for the future of music, its continuity through time and development through experimentation, has become a vital concept and a key word to ensure that music is going to progress and move forward, for centuries to come.
But forward thinking and progression attitude, in music, also need using lessons from the past, by safeguarding musical guidelines created through the decades that have provided the learning platforms for millions of artists that have used them as the backbone to build their careers and by recording albums and music in general that would, hopefully, will stay in people's minds for the eternity.
It is therefore so important that, in the contemporary music scene, we have multi-faceted, inspiring artists such as the American producer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Adrian Younge, someone that can actually see and perceive music at 360 degrees with a fresh and creative outlook, both from a sonic and a visual aspect too.
The 47-years-old Los Angeles based artist and Emmy Award winning composer, among his many prestigious recognitions received in his illustrious career to date, is also a firm believer in the use of analog recording technique, where Younge is able to use all his skills, creating highly interesting compositional mash-ups that incorporate 70's Soul, Jazz, R&B and Latin music, with a particular attention to the Brazilian one.
It is perhaps an inspiration born out of Younge’s love for Brazilian music that has helped the making of an album like Samantha And Adrian, recorded together with another massive Brazilian talent, the actress, presenter, comedian, producer and singer-songwriter Samantha Schmütz.
Schmütz is an authentic phenomenon not only in the singer-songwriter's country of origin, but also in the States, where, in later years, she toured America with the Brazilian Maestro Arthur Verocai, attracting the attention of many music fans.
Samantha And Adrian is an incredibly fascinating record; through the nine original compositions included in the album, both Younge and Schmütz build a very strong sonic bridge, able to unify not only two different countries and cultures, but also two distant time capsules, where the history and tradition of Brazilian music meets the sound of 70's Detroit Soul, the New York's Studio 54 Disco vibe and the Post-Bop Jazz and Funk attitude of artists like the late great Roy Ayers, for example.
While Schmütz's diverse strong vocal skills allow the singer-songwriter to toe tap within Jazz, Samba, Bossanova or Soul with effortless class and grace, Younge's ability to create the right sonic structures to accommodate Schmütz's ductility as a singer and, at the same time, allowing his creativity to expand to an almost cinematic level, is staggeringly wonderful.
It would be an injustice to mention just a few songs off the album as highlights, because Samantha And Adrian is a collection of highlights in its entirety, from the moment the record kicks off with the 70's Soul mood of a song like Depois De Amo right to its closing moment, with a fabulous vocal delivery from Schmütz of a splendidly arranged Bossanova like Nosso Reflexo.
A record to cherish more and more on each passing listen, Samantha And Adrian is a body of work that reinforces the idea of creating musical melting pots where there are no barriers of any sort, where different layers of music can be structured and arranged in a way where melody and experimentation can work side by side in perfect harmony, making perfect sense. A truly inspiring album.
Samantha And Adrian is due to be released on 25th July 2025 and it is available to be purchased via Adrian Younge's Official Bandcamp Page
