Tom Skinner - Voices Of Bishara Vinyl LP

The title of Tom Skinner’s first release under his own name references cellist Abdul Wadud’s ultra-rare 1978 solo album By Myself, which Skinner listened to repeatedly during lockdown. Wadud’s album was privately pressed on his own label, Bisharra, and while Skinner’s title uses the more conventional spelling of this Arabic word, both share the same meaning: “good news” or “the bringer of good news.” The record channels a classic spirit, connecting back to Skinner’s 2017 Hello Skinny collaboration with American composer and Arthur Russell collaborator Peter Zummo on Watermelon Sun, linking sideways to Makaya McCraven’s beat-maker-inspired approach to jazz, and bridging musically to Sons of Kemet’s most meditative moments.

Voices of Bishara began when Skinner gathered a group of musician friends for a Played Twice session at London’s Brilliant Corners, where a classic album would be played in full and then reinterpreted live. On this occasion, they focused on Tony Williams’ 1964 Blue Note album Life Time, and the resulting improvisations were so inspired that Skinner began writing an album’s worth of new material. Recorded live with a cellist, bass player, and two saxophonists, the sessions evolved slowly over time as Skinner revisited and reshaped the material, drawing inspiration from disco re-edits and artists like Theo Parrish to create something fluid and alive. The finished album is a tight, hypnotic, and deeply emotional 31 minutes of music — sweeping through richly textured soundworlds anchored by the interplay of cello, bass, and Skinner’s unmistakable percussive touch. “We’re individual voices coming together collectively,” Skinner says. “The idea was that we could collectively bring something more positive to the table. It’s the start of something.”