{"title":"Don Glori","description":"\u003cp\u003eDon Glori is an anagram for producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Gordon Li, originally from the creative crossroads of Naarm (Melbourne, Australia) and now based in London, traversing jazz, funk, soul, RnB, samba, house, and Brazilian music in a kaleidoscopic genre-surfing odyssey. Cutting his teeth touring with opera companies, cabarets, and sessioning for bands from a young age, Li stepped away from his role as a prolific Melbourne sideman to enter the limelight as bandleader in 2022 with his long-awaited debut album \u003cem\u003eWelcome\u003c\/em\u003e, which catapulted him forward as an artist to watch. The album was nominated for the Australian Music Prize as well as multiple Music Victoria awards and continues to be highly sought after by record collectors, showcasing Li's distinctive musical voice through carefully considered compositions that facilitate heavy doses of improvisation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis first offering to the world, the \u003cem\u003eDawn Calling\u003c\/em\u003e, was released in December 2020 on Nothin Personal, recorded live to tape over two days in February 2020 and capturing Don Glori and his band at their best. The record traverses between melancholic, textural landscapes with spiritual jazz overtones through to enchanting group vocals and synth-laden grooves built around the rhythm-centric marriage of bass and drums, touching on elements of jazz, house, and Brazilian music. Taking influence from artists including Azymuth, SAULT, Jordan Rakei, Lynda Dawn, and Donny Hathaway, as well as from London musical beacons such as NTS and Total Refreshment Centre, Li deconstructed the sounds and elements of the music he loves and recontextualised them into his own signature sound tied together by his inimitable spirit and dedication to making it groove.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHis second album \u003cem\u003eDon't Forget to Have Fun\u003c\/em\u003e was released in June 2024 on UK label DeepMatter Records, channelling Mildlife, Azymuth, and Steely Dan on bopping psych-jazz-funk cuts, whilst his 2025 album \u003cem\u003ePaper Can't Wrap Fire\u003c\/em\u003e has been signed to the legendary Brighton-based label Mr Bongo. Now London-based, Li represents that DIY, can-do Naarm attitude on a global scale, ticking off bucket list venues and festivals including London Jazz Festival, Ronnie Scott's, Brick Lane Jazz Festival, Badehaus Berlin, The Jazz Cafe, Strawberry Fields, Panama Festival, and Dark MOFO. He has supported Azymuth, Marcos Valle, Emma-Jean Thackray, and Turnover, with his growing list of collaborators including Dizzy and Mount Liberation Unlimited testament to the warmth he brings in his approach to creating music.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"don-glori-paper-cant-wrap-fire-2025-mr-bongo-vinyl-lp","title":"Don Glori - Paper Can't Wrap Fire (2025 Mr Bongo Vinyl LP)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDon Glori - \u003cem\u003ePaper Can't Wrap Fire\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eVinyl LP - 2025 Mr Bongo Records\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFresh contemporary Australian jazz voice\u003c\/strong\u003e - blending jazz-funk, soul-jazz, and neo soul\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003e2025 Mr Bongo release\u003c\/strong\u003e - label known for championing essential contemporary jazz and funk\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli class=\"whitespace-normal break-words pl-2\"\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eModern fusion of R\u0026amp;B and improvisation\u003c\/strong\u003e - bridging genres for today's jazz listeners\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMelbourne's Don Glori presents nine tracks on this third album, blending jazz-funk, soul-jazz, neo soul, contemporary R\u0026amp;B, and fusion into a cohesive statement that reflects contemporary jazz's increasing dialogue with R\u0026amp;B, hip-hop, and electronic music production. Released in 2025 by Mr Bongo Records, the album demonstrates how younger musicians are synthesising jazz tradition with contemporary urban music aesthetics, creating music that speaks to audiences raised on J Dilla, Robert Glasper, and Thundercat as much as Herbie Hancock and Miles Davis. The album's production sensibility and sonic palette reflect post-2000s approaches to jazz recording while maintaining improvisational core and compositional sophistication.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe nine compositions showcase Glori's approach to contemporary fusion, tracks like \"Disaster\", \"Power\", and \"Saturn's Return\" building grooves that could function in R\u0026amp;B or hip-hop contexts while incorporating jazz harmonic movement and improvisational exploration. The album's sound reflects contemporary production techniques—close-miked instruments, electronic textures, hip-hop influenced rhythmic feels—that distinguish it from acoustic jazz traditions while maintaining connection to jazz's improvisational essence. This approach positions the music within contemporary urban music landscapes rather than purely jazz contexts.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Mr Bongo","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43216844554299,"sku":null,"price":75.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0630\/3203\/3339\/files\/a0655827298_10_88cde4dd-5373-4279-a60f-d11f58001d2f.jpg?v=1771110072"}],"url":"https:\/\/lushliferecords.com.au\/collections\/don-glori.oembed","provider":"Lush Life Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}