Eight years after “Nightintales,” China Moses is back with "it's complicated... ," a masterful, addictive, and powerful seventh album, produced by herself and directed by drummer and multi-instrumentalist Troy Miller (Laura Mvula, Jamie Cullum, Gregory Porter), with the participation of artists at the forefront of today's jazz scene (Lakecia Benjamin, sax & flute, Theo Croker, trumpet & arrangements, Daru Jones, drums).
Eight catchy new songs reveal a China Moses who is more sincere than ever as a songwriter and composer, candidly confronting the trials and tribulations of her life as an artist and a woman. Is it complicated? Perhaps, but China pulls it off with her richest and most eclectic album to date, blending jazz, funk, rock, soul, rap, and blues. A true tour de force.
But who is China Moses really?
When she walks into a room, the former presenter and columnist on MCM, MTV, and Canal+, now a radio host on TSFJAZZ and Jazz FM, has the ability to change the atmosphere, leaving her mark with her smile, charisma, and energy. American in her attitude, Londoner in her curiosity for the multicultural underground, French in her chic and offbeat style, China Moses is a multifaceted artist.
The daughter of jazz icon Dee Dee Bridgewater and African-American activist, theater and film personality Gilbert Moses, China was born in Los Angeles and grew up in France. She has a powerful voice and an innate talent for breaking down barriers. She has worked with Chilly Gonzales, DJ Cam, and DJ Mehdi, collaborated with Diam's, declared her love for Dinah Washington (“This One's For Dinah,” her debut as a producer in 2009), played a Disney princess, and was recently elevated to the rank of Chevalier de l'Ordre national du Mérite!
More than just a singer, she is an artist and an entertainer.
Listening to “it's complicated...” gives you a sense of how far China Moses has come. A journey towards emancipation as a woman and independent artist/producer, which we can imagine was fraught with obstacles. From the first note to the last, her seventh album is the fruit of her sweat, experience, and expertise; the affirmation of an insatiable and enthusiastic singer and composer.
It should be noted that China has also made the radical choice to release this new album only in physical formats—vinyl, CD, and even cassette—refusing to give in to the dominant logic of streaming. By limiting distribution to tangible formats, she invites her audience to make a more committed gesture: to truly own the object, to feel the grain of the vinyl, to touch the booklet, to rediscover this authenticity. It is also a call to go and see her on stage, because these physical formats enhance the live experience—the audience holding the album, the artist playing her final notes in concert, everything becomes more real.
Side A:
01. Another night (It's just) ft. Theo Croker, Daru Jones & Oli Rockberger (03:49) / 02. Another night (It's just) coda ft. Theo Croker, Daru Jones & Oli Rockberger (02:07) / 03. I / can be happy (I can be blue) ft. Marvin Sewell (04:02) / 04. My part of town (for Mama) ft. Daru Jones (03:36) / 05. It's okay (I'm not alone) ft. Marvin Sewell (02:58)
Side B:
06. Silence (sirens) prelude ft. Daru Jones (00:33) / 07. Silence (sirens) ft. Daru Jones (04:20) / 08. Broken (pour Alberte) (04:34) / 09. Nowhere to hide (Inside) (02:52) / 10. Better (It is what it is) (05:48)
