Roulette by Alfa Mist

Before even pressing play on Alfa Mist’s latest album Roulette, the cover draws you in. The multi-talented jazz pianist and composer is known for the handpainted artwork from Kaya Thomas-Dyke (who also plays bass on the album) that often adorns his album covers. However, this is the most brightly colored and eye-catching one yet. Contrastingly, the comic he wrote to accompany the album named after the track “Who Were You?” with illustrations by James Reuben, is filled with black and white images. This makes Roulette a concept album, a narrative that blends storytelling, illustrations and music.

Still, the music on the album remains quintessentially Alfa Mist: Lush jazz soundscapes that blend and fuse hip-hop, R&B, Soul and more across a mostly instrumental journey of sonic pleasure.

In the promotional material for Roulette, the question of “What is Reincarnation?” is at the center. The album opens with this theme with the appropriately titled “Reincarnation” which features New York rapper Homeboy Sandman. His hookless verse features creative wordplay with a fluent and direct flow that still has a certain lightness to it. He flows over a smooth horn and drums that harken to a classic break from the 90s. Bars like “Assumin’ I’m a student, what I need is a professor / To get me through this next semester / Before I rot and start to fester” and “Am I going nowhere like a Peloton ride / Of course I order everything on Amazon Prime” combine creativity, humor and wit amongst the ongoing theme of the song’s title.

WARNING: FLASHING IMAGERY

Alfa Mist has always curated the perfect companions for his musical arrangements and this continues with aforementioned longtime collaborator Kaya Thomas-Dyke on “Always Be.” The message of reincarnation continues on this one as she sings of being born again and wonders where history truly ends and begins. The horn on this one echoes throughout the track, almost like the reverberating ripple effect of time passing. The pace enhances this feeling as it coasts along with skittering drums and plucked chords, drifting through time with no sense of urgency, no sense of knowing where it began and where it will end.

Time is also a strong theme on the fittingly titled “All Time” which features vocalist Tawali. Her poetic lyrics and warm vocals capture the feelings of lovers drifting through life, crossing paths as their lives go on. I love her hook here, where she shows off just enough of her vocal power while keeping in line with the relaxed atmosphere of the song. I especially enjoyed the background vocalizations on the hook, again, creating a ripple-like effect as they echo across time. The reverb-like feeling continues with the guitar melody on this one, creating a peaceful reflective and somewhat somber atmosphere.

WARNING: FLASHING IMAGERY

True to the world of jazz in every sense, there is no uniformity when it comes to track lengths on this album. The strings and subtle keys of “You’re Not Blind” barely extend past one minute but still paint a vivid and almost cinematic mental picture. Back-to back tracks “Give Nothing” and “Give Anything” both float around two minutes in length with the former having a much more aggressive atmosphere than anything else on the project. Alfa drops a quick rap verse over guitars that are rock-esque compared to how we’ve heard them across the project and the drums here are faster paced. There’s also some sprinkles of the keys and synths we’ve heard in other moments on the project too. The latter is a string laden track, with subtle splashes of keys paired with them. These strings sound as if they are building up for a grand entrance but we don’t know what — until the beat drops in the track that immediately follows it, “From East.”

Transitions are not used across the entirety of Roulette, but in the moments they are, they are quite effective. Track “Avoid The Drones” is led by melodies and sounds that bring the idea of drones to mind. But, the traditional instruments are still present, not to be outdone as a horn transitions from creating yet another melody before going into a full solo. Another horn accompanies it, almost as the two are in a battle as the ever present presence of the drone continues to watch them. “Who Were You?” follows this track and the drone noises continue seamlessly. However, now we have even more synth-like noises, keys and no horns. It’s almost as if the battle has now settled as things slow down again but the drones continue to watch.

WARNING: FLASHING IMAGERY

While not a “transition” in a technical sense, Alfa Mist still does something quite creative with the back-to-back tracks “Between Lines” and “9 Months” with the former being instrumental and him rapping on the same track in the latter. The bass line that leads these tracks is one that’s not quite groovy but still attention grabbing. I also loved the somber strings that are present here which pair well with the horns and keys on the track, creating an atmosphere that feels fitting for reflection.

The nearly eight minute title track of this album is one of the most beautifully arranged tracks on the project. After a cinematically sonic string intro, we dive into smooth horns, subtle guitars and upbeat drums — and a bass that makes its presence known without stealing the attention from any other instrument. I love how animated the horns are here, almost as if they are dancing amongst the collective of instruments around them. Then, the keys and guitar get a similar moment, with their solos echoing the solos you would see in a live performance. Contrastingly, “Dersen Cafe” takes a more laid back fun approach, as the horn sounds like it could soundtrack some whimsical character walking down the street on a fall day. Even so, there’s still a certain relaxed sophistication to the track with its upbeat drumming.

Album closer “Black Snow” is perhaps the most calculatedly paced track on the album, letting us reflect on the various moods we have heard across the album. The keys are the focus here, swaying between an entrancing melody and solo that gives way for the last visits from the trumpet and bass we’ve heard across the project. It’s easy to say it brings to mind images of snow falling but with the rest of the album soundtracking the fall, perhaps it signifies the still ever present theme of time, as winter must come after fall.

WARNING: FLASHING IMAGERY

Roulette by Alfa Mist is a beautifully layered, warm and comforting jazz fusion album. Each track paints a mental picture through its lush arrangements whether there are words on the track or not. Every musician and vocalist Alfa used contributed to the bigger picture in a beautiful way. This album is the type where the more you listen, the more you notice just how many instruments are on each song. You hear them share the spotlight with each one getting their time to shine with their melodies blending together seamlessly to paint a vivid sonic canvas. This is the type of album where you start at track one and just let the album play all the way through. It’s sure to be a journey every time.

Favorite tracks: All Time, Avoid The Drones, From East, You’re Not Blind, Roulette

Rating: 10/10