A jazz musician from Hackney features alongside six other artists on a new album produced by the iconic record label Blue Note.
Maya Delilah, who was born in Islington and now lives in Hackney, covered Neil Young’s Harvest Moon on the 16-track cover compilation Blue Note Re:imagined II.
The first volume topped the jazz charts around the world when it was released in September 2020.
Singer and songwriter Maya said: “I’ve always loved Neil Young’s Harvest Moon. I always sing it around Christmas even though it’s not a Christmas song. It has sentimental and nostalgic value to it for me.
“I love Cassandra Wilson’s version; I love how she made it very relaxing and chill. So, to reimagine it for this album I thought I would pay attention to her version in the first half of my cover and then reimagine the second half which is why it’s more upbeat and funkier.”
Blue Notes Re:imagined II features UK jazz, soul and R&B artists covering songs from the label's catalogue, balancing the genre’s tradition with its future and reflecting diversity within the current scene.
The 22-year-old from Hackney started playing guitar aged eight, and studied at the Brit performing and creative arts school.
Maya initially performed primarily as a session guitarist or back-up singers because she did not like her voice.
She said: “I started doing more songwriting and making more music for me. And then lockdown happened. I spent the whole of lockdown building up my social media and trying to build up people that would then come to shows when lockdown ended, which worked.”
Since lockdown Maya has been playing regularly in venues across London and has released several EPs including her song Thank You in 2021.
When writing songs, the 22-year-old tries not to be too focused on her lyrics and not take herself too seriously.
She said: “I take inspiration from everywhere. My parents always played a very wide eclectic mix of music from the classics of Stevie and Ella Fitzgerald and then Aretha Franklin to lots of world music. We’d listen to a lot of East African music and Latin music.”
The young musician continued: “My main message with my artistry is to help try and inspire young women to pick up the guitar.”
Alongside Maya on Blue Note Re:imagined II are South London vocalist Ella May who reimagines Chico Hamilton’s The Morning Side Of Love, funk-pop duo Franc Moody’s who produced a new version of Donald Byrd’s Cristo Redentor and vocalist Cherise’s who takes on Norah Jones’ Sunrise.
Additionally featured are a reimagining of Wayne Shorter’s ballad Infant Eyes by Birmingham-born pianist Reuben James, a new version of the Thelonious Monk/Kenny Clarke composition Epistrophy by London tuba player Theon Cross and a fresh spin on Donald Byrd’s Through The Noise (Chant 2) by afro-jazz outfit Nubiyan Twist.
Jay Vaz, Blue Note Re:imagined campaign designer, said: “The Blue Note Re:imagined identity explores an abstract graphic notation score, aiming to represent the exciting energy and diverse range of artists that the new wave of jazz offers.
“The LP cover pays homage to a selection of legendary Reid Miles covers - in particular, Jackie McLean, It’s Time - that I felt perfectly executed the energy of this compilation.”
Blue Note Records is an American jazz record label founded in 1939 by German émigré Alfred Lion and American musician Max Margulis and was initially dedicated to recording traditional jazz music.
Don Was, Blue Note president, said: “For more than eight decades the artists of Blue Note Records have continually pushed the envelope of contemporary music, and Blue Note Re:imagined II once again honours that legacy by letting the UK’s most creative young artists reinvent the treasure of the Blue Note catalogue through their own lens.”
The album is released on September 30. See store.bluenote.com/products/blue-note-re-imagined-ii
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