Naima Joris – While The Moon (2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 40:17 minutes | 412 MB | Genre: Jazz, Vocal Jazz, Dark Jazz, Indie
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © [PIAS]

Some musicians can do that. Make time stand still. Often without intention. They sing songs straight from the heart. They pull on all your heartstrings. Naima Joris is such a singer. Pure.

Naima Joris has had an eventful life. She’s no novice – certainly not on a human level – but, strangely enough, she is as a musician/composer. She never had the ambition to stand on a stage and only learned the basics of guitar and piano at age 27. It was enough to comfort herself at home by playing and singing cover songs that appealed to her heart.While everyone’s career was on hold, Naima broke through when she was 39. This gave her the opportunity to pay tribute together with her brother, Yassinto, to their deceased sister in the form of her first EP. (“Naima Joris” 2021)

After the ode came a tribute album of songs by Daniel Johnston, in whose working method and world of feelings she finds common ground. (“Tribute to Daniel Johnston” 2022)

And now, her first album-length debut: “While the Moon”. A warm bath to comfort the soul of every listener to whom it speaks. ‘Hopeful again’ and ‘Suddenly’ are further post-mortem collaborations with her deceased sister, who left the lyrics behind.

Naima’s songs don’t look away from painful subjects that affect us all. She chooses to sing about it instead of mourning it precisely because she loves life. For example, the album concludes with an ode to life in ‘This Life + Urlicht.’ The closing track is a fusion of two compositions. This Life is composed and played in a childlike way by Naima on the Celtic harp. Urlicht, the second part, is a composition by Niels Van Heertum in which you hear him

Tracklist:

01. Naima Joris – Hopeful Again (05:12)
02. Naima Joris – While The Moon (04:34)
03. Naima Joris – White Noise (04:40)
04. Naima Joris – Anyone (Lived in a Pretty How Town) (05:22)
05. Naima Joris – Inside Our (03:58)
06. Naima Joris – What If (03:49)
07. Naima Joris – Suddenly (03:05)
08. Naima Joris – Remember (06:05)
09. Naima Joris – This Life + Urlicht (03:29)

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Naima Joris – Tribute to Daniel Johnston (2022)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/96 kHz | Time – 32:09 minutes | 599 MB | Genre: Jazz
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © [PIAS]

Naima Joris only sang her first songs when she was 27. After several years of being a backing singer her father Chris Joris (a well-known Belgian jazz musician) encouraged her to further discover her own voice as a lead singer. She took ample time to give that voice its own repertoire and debuted in 2021 with a first untitled EP. A gripping and impressive journey through the most intimate depths of her heart. Five black-rimmed, intense songs that try to give a place to the pain and sadness of the loss of someone dear. Fragile and personal stories that touch a universal chord and from which we, as listeners, could draw comfort, understanding and strength.In recent years, Naima herself took a lot of comfort, courage and inspiration from the songs of Daniel Johnston. In anticipation of her debut album, she decided to tackle a number of songs by the regretted singer-songwriter. “I discovered Daniel Johnston through the documentary “The Devil and Daniel Johnston” sometime in 2009, when I rented a basement room in Brussels. I was singing back up with Isbells at the time when someone encouraged me to try writing my own songs. It was after seeing that famous documentary when I found the courage to do this. I saw how Daniel Johnston approached songwriting; in a very honest and pure way without embarrassment. The low-fi sound also suited my rather limited recording material. I didn’t write many songs, but as long as they were honest and sincere it was worth it. Like writing in a diary. I recorded the songs, put them in a folder and didn’t think I could really achieve anything with them. I mainly recorded covers, because I didn’t think my own songs were good enough. Why would I want to make songs myself when there are already so many amazing songs out there that perfectly express what I feel?”

Tracklist:

1-01. Naima Joris – Cold Hard World (05:55)
1-02. Naima Joris – Poor You (04:40)
1-03. Naima Joris – Walking the Cow (03:55)
1-04. Naima Joris – Don’t Be Scared (02:59)
1-05. Naima Joris – Story Of An artist (03:27)
1-06. Naima Joris – Despair Came Knocking (08:38)
1-07. Naima Joris – True Love Will Find You In The End (02:31)

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