Stings

« 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. »