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Kokoroko|Tuff Times Never Last

Tuff Times Never Last by Kokoroko

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One of the breakout stars of the 2018 U.K. new jazz compilation, We Out Here, London's Kokoroko has progressed musically. Their Afrobeat foundation, which now incorporates soul jazz, The Roots-style Philly soul, dance music and straight up jazz, continues to stretch on their second full-length studio album, Tuff Times Never Last.  Now you can also hear splashes of highlife horns, Common's sophisticated jazz rap, bossa nova rhythms, and William Onyeabor's funk; a group vibe of everyone pulling in the same artistic direction—à la Earth, Wind & Fire—pervades the entire session. In "Never Lost," co-bandleader and trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey has room to solo. Set to perfectly timed rhythms by drummers Onome Edgeworth and Ayo Salawu and at times what sounds like a party in the background (think Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On"), "Sweetie," with its repeated verse of "Sweetie make my heartbeat bounce," exemplifies the band's emerging and singular neo-soul style. Riding a chill groove —paced by the Rhodes-like keyboards of Yohan Kebede and the gentle electric guitar of Tobi Adenaike-Johnson—"Time and Time" features fellow Londoner Demae on vocals and eventually incorporates Chelsea Carmichael's tenor saxophone. Starting slow with horns and percussion, "Idea 5 (Call My Name)" features LULU. on vocals and has the unmistakable pace and lilt of Sade at her peak.   The narrative from "Idea 5 (Call My Name)" is picked up a few tracks later in "Da Du Dah" with lyrics that repeat "Call my name/ Just one more time/ The light has changed/ But you're still mine."  This love story continues in "Together We Are" in which emotions soar ("Together we are/ Bright as the stars/ There's no clouds/ I see heaven in your eyes") before and after trumpet and trombone solos. Powered by a thick, insistent electric bass line from Duane Atherley, "Just Can't Wait" shifts into vocal funk mode with Maurice-Grey leading and Adenaike-Johnson, Atherly, Kebede, and trombonist Anoushka Nanguy on backing vocals. An emerging powerhouse on a voyage of musical inclusion. © Robert Baird/Qobuz

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Tuff Times Never Last

Kokoroko

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1
Never Lost
00:04:23

Sheila Maurice-Grey, Composer, Trumpet - Chelsea Carmichael, Saxophone - Kokoroko, MainArtist - Onome Edgeworth, Composer, Percussion - Ayo Salawu, Composer, Drums - Duane Atherley, Composer, Bass - Yohan Kebede, Composer, Keyboards - Tobi Adenaike-Johnson, Composer, Guitar - Miles Clinton James, Producer - Anoushka Nanguy, Trombone

2025 Brownswood Recordings 2025 Brownswood Recordings

2
Sweetie
00:04:04

Sheila Maurice-Grey, Composer, Trumpet - Chelsea Carmichael, Saxophone - Kokoroko, MainArtist - Onome Edgeworth, Composer, Percussion - Ayo Salawu, Composer, Drums - Duane Atherley, Composer, Bass - Yohan Kebede, Keyboards - Tobi Adenaike-Johnson, Composer, Guitar - Miles Clinton James, Producer - Anoushka Nanguy, Trombone

2025 Brownswood Recordings 2025 Brownswood Recordings

3
Closer To Me
00:05:23

Miles James, Vocals - Sheila Maurice-Grey, Composer, Trumpet - Chelsea Carmichael, Saxophone - Kokoroko, MainArtist - Onome Edgeworth, Composer, Percussion - Ayo Salawu, Composer, Drums - Duane Atherley, Composer, Bass - Yohan Kebede, Composer, Keyboards - Tobi Adenaike-Johnson, Composer, Guitar - Miles Clinton James, Producer - Anoushka Nanguy, Trombone - Catherine Adenaike-Johnson, Vocals - Chaneti Tatiyana Stevens, Vocals - Fusnara James, Vocals - Olamma Ukagba, Vocals

2025 Brownswood Recordings 2025 Brownswood Recordings

4
My Father in Heaven
00:02:29

Sheila Maurice-Grey, Composer, Trumpet - Kokoroko, MainArtist - Onome Edgeworth, Composer - Ayo Salawu, Composer - Duane Atherley, Composer - Yohan Kebede, Composer, Keyboards - Tobi Adenaike-Johnson, Composer - Miles Clinton James, Producer

2025 Brownswood Recordings 2025 Brownswood Recordings

5
Idea 5 (Call My Name) [feat. LULU.]
00:04:51

Sheila Maurice-Grey, Composer, Flugelhorn - Kokoroko, MainArtist - Onome Edgeworth, Composer, Percussion - Ayo Salawu, Composer, Drums - Duane Atherley, Composer, Bass - Yohan Kebede, Composer, Keyboards - Tobi Adenaike-Johnson, Composer, Guitar - LuLu., FeaturedArtist - Miles Clinton James, Producer

2025 Brownswood Recordings 2025 Brownswood Recordings

6
Three Piece Suit (feat. Azekel)
00:04:34

Azekel, FeaturedArtist - Sheila Maurice-Grey, Composer, Trumpet - Chelsea Carmichael, Saxophone - Kokoroko, MainArtist - Onome Edgeworth, Composer, Percussion - Ayo Salawu, Composer, Drums - Duane Atherley, Composer, Bass - Yohan Kebede, Composer, Keyboards - Tobi Adenaike-Johnson, Composer, Guitar - Miles Clinton James, Producer - Anoushka Nanguy, Trombone

2025 Brownswood Recordings 2024 Brownswood Recordings

7
Time and Time (feat. Demae)
00:03:14

Sheila Maurice-Grey, Composer, Trumpet - Chelsea Carmichael, Saxophone - Kokoroko, MainArtist - Onome Edgeworth, Composer, Percussion - Ayo Salawu, Composer, Drums - Duane Atherley, Composer, Bass - Yohan Kebede, Composer, Keyboards - Demae, FeaturedArtist - Tobi Adenaike-Johnson, Composer, Guitar - Miles Clinton James, Producer - Anoushka Nanguy, Trombone

2025 Brownswood Recordings 2025 Brownswood Recordings

8
Da Du Dah
00:03:48

Sheila Maurice-Grey, Composer, Trumpet - Kokoroko, MainArtist - Onome Edgeworth, Composer, Percussion - Ayo Salawu, Composer, Drums - Duane Atherley, Composer, Bass - Yohan Kebede, Composer, Keyboards - Tobi Adenaike-Johnson, Composer, Guitar - Miles Clinton James, Producer - Anoushka Nanguy, Vocals

2025 Brownswood Recordings 2025 Brownswood Recordings

9
Together We Are
00:03:40

Miles James, Vocals - Sheila Maurice-Grey, Composer, Trumpet - Chelsea Carmichael, Saxophone - Kokoroko, MainArtist - Onome Edgeworth, Composer, Percussion - Ayo Salawu, Composer, Drums - Duane Atherley, Composer, Bass - Yohan Kebede, Composer, Keyboards - Tobi Adenaike-Johnson, Composer, Guitar - Miles Clinton James, Producer - Anoushka Nanguy, Trombone

2025 Brownswood Recordings 2025 Brownswood Recordings

10
Just Can't Wait
00:06:22

Sheila Maurice-Grey, Composer, Trumpet - Chelsea Carmichael, Saxophone - Kokoroko, MainArtist - Onome Edgeworth, Composer, Percussion - Ayo Salawu, Composer, Drums - Duane Atherley, Composer, Bass - Yohan Kebede, Composer, Keyboards - Tobi Adenaike-Johnson, Composer, Guitar - Miles Clinton James, Producer - Anoushka Nanguy, Trombone

2025 Brownswood Recordings 2025 Brownswood Recordings

11
Over / Reprise
00:06:45

Sheila Maurice-Grey, Composer, Trumpet - Chelsea Carmichael, Saxophone - Kokoroko, MainArtist - Onome Edgeworth, Composer, Percussion - Ayo Salawu, Composer, Drums - Duane Atherley, Composer, Bass - Yohan Kebede, Composer, Keyboards - Tobi Adenaike-Johnson, Composer, Guitar - Miles Clinton James, Producer - Anoushka Nanguy, Trombone

2025 Brownswood Recordings 2025 Brownswood Recordings

Review: Kokoroko - Tuff Times Never Last

One of the breakout stars of the 2018 U.K. new jazz compilation, We Out Here, London's Kokoroko has progressed musically. Their Afrobeat foundation, which now incorporates soul jazz, The Roots-style Philly soul, dance music and straight up jazz, continues to stretch on their second full-length studio album, Tuff Times Never Last.  Now you can also hear splashes of highlife horns, Common's sophisticated jazz rap, bossa nova rhythms, and William Onyeabor's funk; a group vibe of everyone pulling in the same artistic direction—à la Earth, Wind & Fire—pervades the entire session. In "Never Lost," co-bandleader and trumpeter Sheila Maurice-Grey has room to solo. Set to perfectly timed rhythms by drummers Onome Edgeworth and Ayo Salawu and at times what sounds like a party in the background (think Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On"), "Sweetie," with its repeated verse of "Sweetie make my heartbeat bounce," exemplifies the band's emerging and singular neo-soul style. Riding a chill groove —paced by the Rhodes-like keyboards of Yohan Kebede and the gentle electric guitar of Tobi Adenaike-Johnson—"Time and Time" features fellow Londoner Demae on vocals and eventually incorporates Chelsea Carmichael's tenor saxophone. Starting slow with horns and percussion, "Idea 5 (Call My Name)" features LULU. on vocals and has the unmistakable pace and lilt of Sade at her peak.   The narrative from "Idea 5 (Call My Name)" is picked up a few tracks later in "Da Du Dah" with lyrics that repeat "Call my name/ Just one more time/ The light has changed/ But you're still mine."  This love story continues in "Together We Are" in which emotions soar ("Together we are/ Bright as the stars/ There's no clouds/ I see heaven in your eyes") before and after trumpet and trombone solos. Powered by a thick, insistent electric bass line from Duane Atherley, "Just Can't Wait" shifts into vocal funk mode with Maurice-Grey leading and Adenaike-Johnson, Atherly, Kebede, and trombonist Anoushka Nanguy on backing vocals. An emerging powerhouse on a voyage of musical inclusion. © Robert Baird/Qobuz

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