Dinner Party: Enigmatic Society review – slinky, synthy R&B

(Sounds of Crenshaw/Empire)
The jazz supergroup bring an LA breeziness to an album shimmering with 80s synths and G-funk

A supergroup of superstar jazz musicians might bring all sorts of supersized soloing to mind, but Dinner Party – saxophonists Terrace Martin and Kamasi Washington, pianist Robert Glasper and producer 9th Wonder – have a more egoless, less noodlesome ethos.

Their eponymous debut EP, which landed like a balm amid summer 2020, was a slick and balanced serving of classic hip-hop, jazz and R&B with old soul sensibilities, the remix of which earned a Grammy nod. This second helping, arriving at short notice ahead of a Coachella performance this weekend, brings in 80s synths and bigger earworms on tracks such as Insane.

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