Albums: Mark De Clive-Lowe, Melanie Charles, Shigeto - Hotel San Claudio

This intoxicating new album mixes jazz, dance and hip-hop resulting in one of the most interesting album releases of the year.

If you can imagine Massive Attack mixed with Sade set against some soulful house beats you will be much the wiser to what the album sounds like.

Composer, pianist and DJ, Mark de Clive-Lowe has linked up with Brooklyn-based jazz vocal Melanie Charles and Detroit drummer, producer and DJ Shigeto.

Set against the backdrop of rolling hills, the Adriatic Sea and Italian countryside, stands a hotel that was transformed into a home away from home for the collaboration that was to become Hotel San Claudio, hence the title of the album.

You can feel the warmth of the Italian sun on tracks such as MFT and Love Is Everywhere whilst Kanazawa references a love of soulful house music with Charles’ 70s disco fusion flute solo leading into a euphoric and climactic club outro, the cold days of March fade away into the distance when this sublime taste of summer sunshine shines brightly on this merging of musical styles.

Saxophonist Pharoah Sanders' classic song The Creator Has A Masterplan is split into two parts, whether you are religious or spiritual or not, the track still seems able to reach out across generations with an uplifting message.

The trio’s chemistry works well together with a penchant for breaking new ground. Whilst the album will not fit in easily with current musical trends it needs to be heard by the many and not the few.