Acclaimed jazz and hip-hop fusionists Butcher Brown has announced its latest single “This Side Of Sunshine,” an imaginative reinvention of Roy Ayers’ masterful but lesser-known cut.
The single is the band’s first offering from its forthcoming album Solar Music, which is set to release digitally, on CD, and double-sided LP October 6 via Concord Jazz. In support of the new music, Butcher Brown will embark on an extensive global tour with dates across the U.S. and Europe this fall. Check out their take on the track below.
In keeping with the slow pace of the new song, Butcher Brown’s rendition highlights the role that funk and soul play in the band’s musical foundation. With half of the song dominated by the wistful sounds of the drums, guitar and bass, the band demonstrates a thorough understanding of soul without tampering with the original version’s ingenuity. The single is also accompanied by an animated visual by Chris Acosta.
Speaking on the decision to rework “This Side Of Sunshine,” Butcher Brown drummer Corey Fonville says, “It’s important to give masters their flowers. Roy Ayers created a new wave that impacted so many of the younger artists, and with his originality he made timeless classics. This song is everything we love about his music and casually is a sleeper you don’t hear people discuss.”
Solar Music follows the group’s critically acclaimed 2022 album Butcher Brown Presents Triple Trey, which NPR said, “sizzles from the first note” and Pitchfork described as “finding a natural home within the comfortable confines of hip-hop and big-band jazz.”
In kind, the new record demonstrates the essence of Butcher Brown down to its core—incorporating a rich lineage of musical influences from its band members’ upbringing in Richmond, Virginia to fuse soul, funk, rock, and hip-hop into a universal sound.
