Song of the week archive

I hadn't heard this one before this week. A gentle song with a buttery smooth cello part played by Matt Butler, with Shaun Martin doing everything else on the track. The full title is 'Closing Credits (A Requiem for Carolyn)', which tells you what sort of piece it is before a note has played.

I discovered Shaun Martin (as I did many other amazing musicians) through his work with Snarky Puppy, where he's one of the keyboard players. This is a long way from that. No band firing on all cylinders, just a tune given room to breathe.

The other one I love from the same album is 'The Yellow Jacket'. It has an infectious rhythm and fantastic syncopation, dreamy sections that drift out and back in again without a seam, and passages that are just endlessly uplifting.

Also worth your time: The Yellow Jacket