Haden and Brecker do take the lion’s share of solos on the album, though, and probably deserve their joint billing on that basis. The arrangements, though, by Haden, Alan Broadbent, Jeremy Lubbock, and Vince Mendoza, aren’t really structured as vehicles for dramatic improvisation. Haden’s goal is to reflect his theme by drawing on a wide range of American sources and styles, from Coleman’s outside adventures to “America The Beautiful” (and making “America The Beautiful” work as a jazz tune is one of the major achievements of this disc). Of course, it would hardly be a Charlie Haden project without a tip of the hat to Hollywood, provided here by a pair of songs from the soundrack work of Alan and Marilyn Bergman.

However, Amanecer is Calderazzo’s complete philosophy of perfection in both musical and technical takes in solo, duo and trio settings – all gained from years of touring and the commitment to stand on his own. Included is one of Calderazzo’s most popular compositions – “Midnight Voyage” – which he introduced on Michael Brecker’s 1996 recording TALES FROM THE HUDSON. In further tribute to the late Mr. Brecker, Calderazzo added both “Amanecer” which he originally recorded as “Cat’s Cradle” on Brecker’s 1997 release titled TWO BLOCKS FROM THE EDGE, and “Sea Glass” a tune Calderazzo had performed with Brecker in a trio setting. However, his solo treatments take on an even deeper impact because of the untimely death of Brecker in early 2007.

Since hearing the pianist in a number of venues – including the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Playboy Jazz Festival, among others, as both a solo pianist and within The Branford Marsalis Quartet, Calderazzo has strengthened his technique and has gone from Joey Calderazzo the pianist to Joey Calderazzo the complete musician, composer and interpreter.

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However, AMANCEER is Calderazzo’s complete philosophy of perfection in both musical and technical takes in solo, duo and trio settings – all gained from years of touring and the commitment to stand on his own. Included is one of Calderazzo’s most popular compositions – “Midnight Voyage” – which he introduced on Michael Brecker’s 1996 recording TALES FROM THE HUDSON. In further tribute to the late Mr. Brecker, Calderazzo added both “Amanceer” which he originally recorded as “Cat’s Cradle” on Brecker’s 1997 release titled TWO BLOCKS FROM THE EDGE, and “Sea Glass” a tune Calderazzo had performed with Brecker in a trio setting. However, his solo treatments take on an even deeper impact because of the untimely death of Brecker in early 2007.

Since hearing the pianist in a number of venues – including the Monterey Jazz Festival, the Playboy Jazz Festival, among others, as both a solo pianist and within The Branford Marsalis Quartet, Calderazzo has strengthened his technique and has gone from Joey Calderazzo the pianist to Joey Calderazzo the complete musician, composer and interpreter.

Reprinted with permission of…

Whispers in the Wind starts it off with Mala’s vocals amid the rolling guitars of Steve Salerno, who also has a HOT solo in the very bluesy title track. In addition to singing Ms.Waldron also grooves on the electric piano; check out her solos on Whispers in the Wind and Too Good for Words. Mala even gets in a little scatting on the high-energy samba Ellie which also features a round of solos from the band and a driving drum solo by Michael “T.A.” Thompson.

The only cover on the entire release is an explosive arrangement of “Light My Fire.” The closer, Maybe It’s Not So, starts slow but soon transforms into this Latin-funky track reminiscent of some old Randy Crawford tunes. This track is held together by the ever-present and jamming bass work of Miriam Sullivan, who carries the bottom throughout this CD with a jazzy combination of zest and funk.

Mala Waldron has inherited at least some of her composing talent from her jazz pianist/composer dad, Mal Waldron, most well known as Billie Holiday’s last accompanist and for composing Soul Eyes first recorded by John Coltrane.

All of the music was recorded from 1996 to 2002, the year when she succumbed to complications from cancer. Her last CD, “Etta Jones Sings Lady Day,” which would later be nominated for a Grammy, was released the day of her death.

Thankfully, we have her music and her sultry voice to enjoy forever. Houston Person, her musical partner, producer and often times accompanying tenor saxophone player, assembled the selections on this CD acknowledging that they were “her favorite tracks.”

It’s a great walk down jazz memory lane, from “All of Me,” “God Bless the Child,” “Mr. Bonjangles,” “For Sentimental Reasons,” “Fine and Mellow,” “I Should Care,” to the always moving Louis Armstrong classic “What A Wonderful World.”

Jones shows why she continues to be revered as an interpreter of standards, ballads and blues. And while she first began touring at the age of 16, before going on to record for Prestige and RCA, some of her finest work was rendered in the last two decades of her life.

Need a few moments to “pause for the cause,” or to “take a pill and chill?” Or perhaps you just want to go back in time when Lena Horne, Billie Holiday, Earl Hines and Duke Ellington were all the rage.

“We felt that we were pretty much done with A Love Supreme when we went to Europe, but my manager wasn’t done with it,” Marsalis recalls wryly. “After hearing us perform the suite at the Bottom Line, she insisted that we had to film it so she approached Pierre about the project and he agreed.” Pierre Lamoureux, a filmmaker known for his expertise in musical subjects, directed the recent Emmy-winning PBS special “Only You in Concert” by Harry Connick, Jr. “Pierre cares about how his films sound as well as how they look,” Branford emphasizes, “and the combination of Pierre and the Bimhuis was too good to pass up.”

Branford is unsparing in his enthusiasm for the Amsterdam club, which has been a center for jazz in Europe since it opened in 1973. “I only played there once before, with Art Blakey in 1981, and I’ve wanted to bring my own band into the Bimhuis ever since,” he admits. “It’s simply one of the two or three best jazz clubs in the world, because the room is intimate and the focus is on presenting the music instead of selling food and drinks. There is a bar outside of the performance space, and people do go there to hang, but once they walk into the club itself, it’s all about the music.”

Marsalis’ acclaimed quartet – with pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts – was all about the music as well, as they delivered a performance both musically and visually riveting. As a bonus to the live performance, all four members of the quartet, together with Branford’s fellow saxophonists Michael Brecker, Ned Goold, David Sánchez and Miguel Zenón, discuss the inspiration and the challenges presented by Coltrane’s composition. In addition, Alice Coltrane, John Coltrane’s widow and the pianist in his last band, is seen in a 30-minute conversation with Branford. An audio-only disc of the Bimhuis performance is also included, and is available only in the DVD package.

A Love Supreme is considered by many to be the ultimate expression of the classic John Coltrane quartet, and remains Coltrane’s most popular album. Where Coltrane only performed the suite live on one occasion, Marsalis and band had several opportunities to play individual sections of the piece as well as A Love Supreme in its entirety before hooking up with Lamoureux for video documentation. “We definitely grew into the piece as we played it, which is why I’m so pleased that Pierre caught us when we really understood it,” Marsalis reports. “One thing about A Love Supreme, it takes tremendous concentration and focus from every member of the band. The first time we played the whole thing live, all we could do afterward was sit in the dressing room for 20 minutes, totally exhausted. You don’t see this band in that shape too often. By the time we got to the Bimhuis, though, we were up to the challenge.”

What has resulted – a scintillating live performance, plus informed musical commentary and a rare visit with Alice Coltrane – makes A Love Supreme Live in Amsterdam a must for all fans of Coltrane’s and Marsalis’ music.

Some folks define the birth of jazz as the day Buddy Bolden bounced notes off Lake Pontchartrain in the waning days of the 19th century. Since then, like some wandering eternal spirit from an Anne Rice novel out looking for kicks, those notes have touched and transfixed millions, only to splinter and regenerate continuously for decades. The being doesn’t touch as big of a percentage of people in the U.S. as it once did, but the number under it’s spell worldwide continues to grow. So much so, that as jazz continues to break itself into pieces and then borrow from other pieces created a generation or two ago, it has now come back from the England in yet another form as acid jazz and drum n’ bass and what ever the Europeans label it this year.

And steadily, young Americans are responding to the whatever versions of jazz that infects them with their own take. That is very obvious in the increasing homogenization of jam bands with alternative rock ties, the suddenly growing recordings of 70’s styled fusion bands, and the hip-hoppers who continuously seek out to deliver props to those who came before them, whether in words, samples or spirit.

Then there’s Diana Krall. Inexplicable, yet self-explanatory.

Is Steve Tyrell, positive fallout from the Diana Krall phenomenon? Or will television, one of Tyrell’s means of promotion, the future of selling jazz records? Meanwhile, many public jazz stations stay away from them both.

Smooth jazz radio added stations last year, including a few not owned by Clear Channel, a trend that must continue for the health of the format. Still, as the format grows, major record label execs still only dream of a million selling act like the decidedly mainstream Krall. Record reps have been saying for years that smooth jazz doesn’t sell. The situation is improving as witnessed by the recent tremendous sales of Urban Knights and Dave Koz’ Christmas record.

Still the top two 2001 contemporary jazz records in terms of sales, according to Billboard Magazine, are St. Germain and Rachelle Ferrell, neither with smooth jazz airplay, but both gold record award winners.Ferrell’s success easily corresponds with what a major record executive just said to me the other day about mainstream jazz, “ain’t nothing selling in jazz right now but women singers.”

St. Germain, on the other hand is, of course, the shape of things to come. Acid jazz jam bands, 70’s driven jazz/funk bands and alternative rock jam bands are what many young kids are calling jazz today, attesting to the high sales growth that Marcus Miller and Medeski, Martin & Wood achieved last year, without the benefit of hardly any airplay. And the airplay that MM&W did get, that wasn’t college radio, came from so-called Triple A alternative rock stations.

Those youngsters who are being influenced by smooth jazz are adopting some of the English and European acid jazz/drum n’ bass flair, but many more are spicing their music with hip-hop. Right now, easily, the record label that has the firmest grip on this trend is Hidden Beach Recordings. With Jill Scott, Brenda Russell and saxophonist Mike Phillips already on the label, the company showed it had the pulse on what young people called jazz when they astounded the jazz market with their “Unwrapped,” album. It shot up to number one within days of its release. Chocked with instrumental covers of rap hits, Hidden Beach has once again help to fragment jazz and have a whole new generation begin to regurgitate the music and spit it out for themselves.

Without question the most positive trend in smooth jazz music is that the musicians are finally, at least seemingly, trying to dictate to the programmers what the music should be, instead of the other way around. With the stagnation of the format, it was only a matter of time before musicians looked for ways to spice up their recordings. . The smooth jazzers are incorporating more of the European stuff too, which to most programmers is something they never heard.

The most horrid trend in smooth jazz is the premature fade of tunes on major labels. Now that the musicians are starting to create music not made for programmers, they should tell their labels to let radio edit themselves. They know how.

Sadly, in mainstream jazz, the paradoxical trend of dead masters outselling new jazz artist continues to widen its berth. If Ken Burns “Mark Twain,” series does for the publishing business what his “Jazz” did for the marketing of jazz records, new young writers don’t stand a chance.

It’s wonderful that Miles Davis and John Coltrane continue to sell at a brisk pace. But it’s frightening that for the past two to three years, artists of their ilk are the only instrumentalists who are selling at the pace of vocalists, (not counting Krall of course.) So why should Columbia or Impulse expand their roster when a new Billie Holiday or Bird compilation could help make budget projections just fine.

Technology, to some extent, evens things out, in that it is easier for a young jazz artist to have product. And because of that, critics and programmers in mainstream jazz circles are open to hearing almost anybody, Much more so than in smooth jazz.

This humorous take on getting around is fodder for the traveling salesperson, musician or anyone that hit’s the road on a regular basis. With vocals reminiscent of Billy Joel and Sting, Regen does wonders for “Hold Out Your Heart,” and “What Am I Supposed To Do From Here.” Jon Regen is definitely worth the listen and Almost Home is certainly among his best work to date. Don’t miss his upcoming concert dates. Visit him at http://www.jonregen.com for more information.

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Reminiscent of some of Prince’s CDs at the end of his hated Warner contract, this CD seems to be filled with… well… filler. Nice and airy but a little insubstantial. Rangell fans will be satisfied, but considering the fact that most of us only buy a few holiday CDs, and only listen to those for a short time, there’s probably better fare out there.

Norman Brown adds a lot of flair to Just Like Old Times as he and Harp work side by side with Paul Jackson Jr. keeping the rhythm rolling and Larry Kimple pulling bass duty. Can you Hear Me is a bumping Rex Rideout composition featuring Walt Fowler on trumpet. Howard Hewitt lends his unique vocal sound along with George Duke‘s keyboarding to the aptly named Groove Control which is truly a controlled groove, rising in intensity as it progresses.

They coast through “Jive at Five”: Allan has a sweet tremble, accented by Higgins’ stride. This time Harry IS Pres – the likeness is uncanny, and gorgeous. “Lake Ponchartrain Blues” will grow on you; the theme and harmonies are subtly sophisticated. Higgins wrote it, and he glistens – Vaché defines “yearning” on his sweet solo. The drums wreak havoc on the title tune; this is Eddie Metz, and his drive is special. (Harry is also good, though his turn is too short.) Allan is peaceful on “What Can I Say (After I Say I’m Sorry)”, followed by Harry’s slow fire. Such music is simple: find the good tunes and let them sing. This they do, and this you’ll love.

Bolstered further by the overwhelming positive response from the audience when he asked how many owned his new album ,Tomorrow Today, Jarreau performed an exhaustive well-paced 90 minute show in good humor and great voice. Throughout the performance, he chastised the people who didn’t fill the empty seats in nearly half the auditorium. “They’re at home listening to Dr. Dre,” he laughed before launching into a searing version of “So Good.” Afterwards, through the first of many sustained ovations, he very seriously said, “tell them to Dr. Dre that shit.

He danced, played percussion, scatted and displayed all those appealing qualities his live show has contained for years, but his new band, including his childhood friend Joe Torano, on sax and Verve recording artist Freddie Ravel on keyboards, put an extra charge into the singer seem to be on a higher level than when he toured with Joe Sample, George Duke and David Sanborn last summer.

Ravel excelled particularly on the Joe Zawinul tune A Remark You Made, which is on the singer’s new album re-titled Something That You Said. On the classic, Since I Fell For You, he brought down his background vocalist, Debbie Davis, who in turn, brought the house down.

He effectively mixed the new with his chestnuts, like Take Five, Morning, with many of the old tunes spiced with new arrangements, particularly the Grammy winning We’re In This Love Together, that found Jarreau slowing the tempo down and playing hide and seek with the melody throughout, even on the chorus.

The singer also seems to be returning more to his jazz roots as on a long medley that included Just To Be Loved By You, from the new album, his old hit, I Will Be Her For You, Jarreau added the standards Autumn Leaves, and Summetime. He labeled it “adult music.”

The band really gelled on the title track from Tomorrow Today, as every member of the seven-piece band also sung background, including the incredible percussionist/vocalist Arno Lucas, who in the 70’s led the great underrated group Crakin’. Lucas really smoked the congas and timbales on this Latin tune which Jarreau said had “lyrics for you mind, and salsa for your behind.”

And indeed the whole audience was on its feet moving to the groove, and before they could all sit down, Jarreau closed the show with a rousing version of George Duke’s very funky Dukey Stick, a total surprise that revved the dancers to a rock-show like frenzy.

Backed by a stellar Trio, consisting of Peter Martin (P), Reuben Rogers (B), and Gregory Hutchinson (D), and whether swinging ( “Loads Of Love,” What A Little Moonlight Can Do” ), or displaying ‘touch and feel’ for the ballads (“Reflections,” “Skylark,” and “You Go To My Head,” featuring Nicholas Payton (T). Guitarist Romero Lubambo lends classy support on 3 tracks as well.

The die-hard Di Meola fans that had waited in line since 2:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon were the first admitted. They darted straight for the front row while we took our seats in the upstairs balcony so that we could see the great Al Di Meola, Gumbi Ortiz, Gilad and Mario Parmisano in full surround sound and with a great view. The ambiance of the club and The Plush only added to the excitement in the air. Children, teens, x-gens, baby boomers and elderly chaperones were there and everywhere you looked, their faces were full of love.

The announcer spoke, the lights dimmed, Al DiMeola took the stage. The ensemble immediately launched into several songs from THE GRANDE PASSION, his latest release on Telarc Jazz. “The Grande Passion” was an impressive work of art with epic sweeps that Di Meola detailed divinely with his guitar picks. Filled with the emotional essence of the master guitarist, this performance provided several of the best moments of the night with his musical literature, poetic power and provocative strumming captivating every person in the room. Playing both acoustic and electric guitars, Di Meola showed why his is still the reigning guitar god and his fusion is melodic, sophisticated and compelling as ever.

“Misterio” was excellent. The new fusion going down was met with frequent shouts of “yeah,” and the same raw emotion that asserted itself in many of the same rock audiences that had previously flocked to see him. However the ensemble avoided the on-stage recapitulation of his hit records and stayed with the program from THE GRANDE PASSION. With great orchestrations from Mario Parmisano on both acoustic piano and synthesizer, the feel of a symphony orchestra was very much present and set a great mood for “Libertango,” the rousing tango composed by Astor Piazzolla. Played in pure Di Meola style, the crowd centered on his remarkable strumming that still defies gravity and tapped into the song’s encompassing musical structure as they sat on the edges of their seats. Throughout the show, Gumbi Ortiz was on fire on the congas and Gilad provided excellent percussive punctuation. A really great “rhythmic conversation” between Al and Gilad really sparked the crowd to its feet with their rhythmic duet.

The title tune is Brahms’ Lullaby – sort of. Staron plays the theme in abstract, over and over; Russell flits around, from rusty honks to parodied vibrato. A squall commences, Rick Shandling goes big on vymbals – Staron retains his calm. “Kyrie” is a segment of Catholic liturgy, begun with solemn bells. Staron bows the theme, while a gravel-tone trumpet interjects. Intensity bubbles: Hal grabs a mute, Michael makes a fast twitter, and convention departs – as if it were ever here. Have mercy.

In five months Hal was back in the studio, this time at behest of Bradley Parker-Sparrow, partner in the facility. Sparrow’s at the piano for “Who’s There?”, batting the strings directly while the trumpet blasts louder than ever. Never an ace at the instrument, Hal does have a firmer tone this time, and he growls with distinction. Staron slaps the bass good, Sparrow hammers the low keys, then makes like Cecil Taylor. Now the tenor comes barking, as an austere rhythm forms – an ordered type of chaos.

And as good as she is, you must remember that there are great artists, then there are great combos. Kobi and Shaq, Mike and Scottie, Kirk and Spock. On this release Ada went back to play with legendary horn blower Randy Brecker, and the combination is both powerful and melodic. I hope that she continues to pair with the jazz legend on future releases because this concoction is the stew of the Gods.

More on Ada Ravatti…

Though some of their harmonies had holes, the cast offered a wide range- from a skinny Zoot Suit hep cat to an operatic Little Richard, with a handful of talented women in the middle. Backing the vocal quintet was a tight but often distant sextet, led by the Waller-esque Ronald Metcalf, who tickled the ivories and the women with equal flair. With all this great music and talented performers, it would be little surprise if other companies tried to copy this show. So will rent parties ever come back? As Waller himself might say, one never knowsŠdo one?

“the storm,” depicts the passion and the fury of the mighty pacific while “after the storm” defines the peace and tranquility that comes after the storm has passed. “the edge of the ocean,” is energetic and passionate and once again his compositional imagery is rich and vibrant. overall, michael’s impressive melodies are sure to endure for generations and you’d be wise to give a closer listen to his creative energy.

If you’ve never been to this gathering that celebrates the contributions of musicians and artists who represent the African Diaspora experience, you don’t know what you’ve been missing. But if you can imagine the aroma of pungent incense drifting in the air, if you can visualize the panorama of colors that are characteristic of the garb from the African continent and can hear the whispering wind as it carries on its wings the conversation of the drum, then you may have a sense of what this writer experienced during his annual trek to the Festival.

Opening the festival on the main stage was the African-born singer Angelique Kidjo, whose lyrics reflect her belief that no matter how far the children of Africa have been removed from their Mother Land, subtle lines of interconnectedness continue to unite us. She inspired the crowd in a lyrical testament of hope, singing in English and her native tongue, Yoruba with songs from her latest release “Oyaya” (the word for “joy” in Yoruba).

Other acts of note included jazz pianist Ahmad Jamal, whose lack of exposure may explain why he normally is not considered one of the giants of jazz. Still, when he performs in his favorite setting—the piano trio format—his colleagues in the industry and jazz lovers alike agree that he is not only at his best—but is one of the best.

Now well into his 70’s, Jamal can still tickle the ivories blending his classical training with the swing of a real jazz pianist. Old timers who attended the concert almost looked misty eyed, perhaps recalling earlier days of jazz when during the late 1950’s, Jamal solidified his Jamal Trio lineup and performed regularly at the old Pershing Hotel attracting local jazz musicians. It was a treat to witness the performance of a man whose reach extended to one of the greatest improvisers in jazz history—Miles Davis.

Representing the sound of Latin jazz was the family known as Escovedo with father, Pete, joined by his daughter and one-time percussionist for Prince, Sheila E.

Escovedo is considered one of the leaders of Latin jazz and got his big break when he and his band were asked to open for the Count Basie Orchestra at the Downbeat Club in San Francisco. And while he is comfortable on saxophone or the vibes, he is best known for his skills as a percussionist—something that he clearly passed on to his entire family, including his brother, the late Coke Escovedo and to daughter Sheila E.—one of only a few female percussionists in a tradition that continues to be heavily dominated by men.

A sort of Family Von Trapp minus the vocals (sorry, I couldn’t help but throw in that shout out to The Sound of Music) the Escovedo family had bongos, congas, cymbals, bells, shells and all kinds of percussion work going on a stage that got hotter by the moment and kept the audience on its feet.

The Festival closing act was none other than the legendary songstress/pianist, Roberta Flack who never disappoints an audience. She came on later than scheduled, perhaps because she was hampered by a broken foot.

She started out just a tad flat on “Oasis,” as she fought to find her voice on a humid night. But from that point on it was all classic Roberta.

Flack is a trained musician and one thing that is always evident—she carefully selects the artists that back her up. Her performance at this year’s festival was another stellar combination of vocals and musicians with a skilled band and the terrific tenor Tony Terry.

I have had the opportunity to cover Flack several times and have to say that she and Terry sounded most like that classic combination of Flack and Hathaway whose performance on “The Closer I Get to You”—remains one of my all-time favorites. Flack hasn’t released a new recording since a 2003 Christmas release and so it a pleasant surprise to hear several new pieces that she said will be included in a new CD that’s due out before the end of the year.

From “Feel Like Making Love,” and “Killing Me Softly,” to “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?” and “Back Together Again,” which featured Terry as the lead vocalist, it was a great close to a fantastic festival.

The fourth Africa Fete sampler from Island Records is by far the best one of the quartet. The four artists represented are not only getting a big push from a record company, that in most cases is not their own, but the tour is garnering a lot of attention from the press and music lovers, including adventurous jazz listeners.

Collectively, Africa Fete ’98 are Salif Keita from Mali, Papa Wemba from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Maryam Mursal from Somalia and Cheikh Lo from Senegal. They’re touring the continent this month including the two opening nights at the Quebec City Summer Festival of World Music, which runs from July 9-July 19 and will be reviewed by JazzUSA next month.

As far as we know, none of these artists have histories with any jazz artists, however those who are into rock may recognize the name, Salif Kieta, who has played with some European and American rock stars. It goes without saying that worldwide Keita is the most popular of these four artists. However, in America, they’re all pretty much unknown, which is one of the purposes of teaming the artists up with each contributing two tracks. Keita’s material has the harder rock element while Lo’s two songs have deceptive rhythms and complicated harmonies, not to mention sharp playing and soloing, and should be the most listen-able for jazz lover.

PAPA WEMBA-Keita may be the most well known of the quartet, but Papa Wemba has the best tracks on the album. As many jazz lovers know, the further south in Africa you go, the more the American influences. That’s why the best jazz and r&b in Africa comes from South Africa. Wemba, who comes from the Congo, (formerly Zaire) has music that has an instant groove-ability to any one who like the strains of funk and slick harmonies. It’ll help beginning listeners of world music that Wemba contributes the only English speaking track on the album, and the hook from “Show Me The Way” is instantly singable. However, world music purists (who shouldn’t be reading our publication anyway) attack Wemba for those very reasons. They mistake his combination of adding his own style and traditional instruments to western recording styles as attempt at commercialism. These are the same sort of people who dump Pat Metheny in the same pile as Kenny G because Pat sells a lot of records. Island would do well to promote “Show Me The Way” to adventurous urban egends and has been written about and studied and even turned into a BBC documentary. In a nutshell, Keita is a member of the royal family of Mali and is a direct descendant of Sundjiata Keita, founder of the Mankinka Empire in the 13th century. Keita was born an albino, which is nearly a sin in Mali. The newborn and his mother was banished until a spiritual leader searched the elder Keita out and predicted immense fame for the infant. What makes it all so interesting is how quick Keita did indeed rise in the music field. He is revered in Africa the way many of us look at Miles Davis, Bob Marley or Stevie Wonder. He had his first hit in the late 70’s and has been a leader of African music all over the world. His track “Abede” is the second of the very strong first four tracks. Dripping in emotion, this anthem-like up-tempo number mixes and weaves the koro with Vernon Reid’s soaring guitar.

Maryam Mursal- Somalia is one of the purest countries in the world, but has produced one exciting vocalist. Few have a more dramatic tale to tell than Mursal. Before her stunning voice could be heard in the west, she was forced to spend seven months walking across the Horn of Africa with her five children as she fled the atrocious Somalia civil war. She walked out of Mogadishu, the Somalian capital, across Kenya, through Ethiopia, recrossing Somalia again and eventually arriving in Djibouti where she was given asylum by the Danish embassy.

In an incredible coincidence, she ran into free-lance photographer Soren Jensen. Jensen, was in Somalia in 1986 and heard a woman singing to hundreds of refugees. In Denmark, he worked as an arranger and heard Musal and boosted her career after he realized she was the same woman. After achieving some fame, of course she attacked the Somalian government in song, and found herself banned from her homeland.

If you’ve heard about the new Islamic pop music that’s so hot in Paris and Northern Africa, you’ll hear that in Mursal, especially on the track “Somalia, Don’t Shame Yourself,” which opens the album. Her tracks are by far the most pop-oriented and should be the least interesting to a jazz audience. Her second track “The Big City” is strictly a dance number, and that’s dance as in disco, not ceremonial.

Very soon he was paying more attention to the likes of “Chris Columbus” Mra Ngcukana, “Cup and Saucer” Nkanuka and Dollar Brand (Abdullah Ibrahim) on the local scene, while listening to Charlie Parker, Thelonius Monk and Duke Ellington on records. While at UCT Chris started to put together groups to play jazz concerts at UCT, as well as jamming in local clubs, like the Ambassador’s, the Vortex, and others. Other names on these sessions with Chris were reed man Morris Goldberg and trombonist Dave Galloway.

In 1962 Chris took a group from Cape Town to the Castle Lager Jazz Festival at Moroka-Jabavu Stadium in Soweto, where the group came second in the small group section. More importantly, the festival brought together, although in different groups, Dudu Pukwana, Louis Tebugo Moholo, and Mongezi Feza. It was a meeting with long-range consequences and great meaning for South African music.

In 1963, having moved permanently to Johannesburg, Chris obtained sponsorship from a brewery company to put together a big band which, while it only lasted for three weeks, produced an album which is a classic of South African music called Jazz: The African Sound.

In 1964 the organisers of the Antibes Jazz Festival in France heard a tape of the group Chris had formed after the success of the big band and invited the group, by then known as the Blue Notes, to the festival in August of that year. After a nation-wide tour to raise the funds necessary for the trip to France, the Blue Notes left via Mocambique. Their distinctive sound was never heard live again in South Africa. Their 20-minute blow at Antibes was well received by both the listeners and the critics, even Down Beat gave them very positive mention in its October 1964 report on the festival.

After the festival the Blue Notes worked for some time in Zurich before moving to Britain in late 1965 where they shook up the rather staid British jazz scene in a major way. Gigs at Ronnie Scott’s and other places kept the group together but soon other influences and forces were at work which made the individuals in the group go their own ways and form their own alliances with other musicians. This led to a rich web of contacts and musical experiences with the individual Blue Notes meeting and playing with leading musicians from both sides of the Atlantic.

In this way the blending of South African musical traditions with what was going on in the improvised music of the United States and Europe, which had begun back home, was given extra impetus and depth. A kind of critical mass was achieved and the Blue Notes were at the forefront of a whole new musical experience which continues to make waves 30 years later.

In this creative ferment Chris was hearing musicians who excited him and with whom he could work and his constant dream of a big band to put his ideas into practice began to be realised.An exciting gig at Ronnie Scott’s brought together “Chris McGregor and Friends”, a big band mixing South African and British musicians. With this band Chris was at last able to explore and put into practice the many ideas he had as a result of the many different experiences he had been exposed to.

This gig was greeted with rave reviews and Chris looked for ways to keep the band going. In 1969 he formed the Brotherhood of Breath, using members of the big band formed around the South African rhythm section of himself, Harry Miller on bass and Louis Moholo on drums.

This band got its first recording break in 1970 with RCA using it for the launch of their new Neon label. This was followed in 1971 with a second RCA album entitled “Brotherhood.”

In 1973 Chris and his family moved to the south west of France in search of sunshine and space. They purchased an old mill house, the Moulin de Madone in the commune of St Pierre de Caubel, departement Monclar D’Agennaise. Here the family lived in rural peace and made a sound base for Chris to return to after the rigours of the road with the band.

In the late 70s the Brotherhood faded from the scene for a while and Chris did a lot of solo and small group work with musicians he liked.

In the early 80s the Brotherhood got a new lease of life through the Angouleme Music Festival which put up the money for the band to practice for a few weeks around the festival.

By the late 80s the band was well-established on the festival and concert circuits and made thousands of new fans all over Europe, playing a lively music that had strengthened its ties to its African roots without shedding the lessons it had learned along the way. This was an exciting band with great soloists adding excitement to the incredibly disciplined and tight ensemble work.

A tour with Archie Shepp in 1989 started to open doors for Chris and the band, and by early 1990 a US tour was on the cards. It was while working on arrangements for this tour that Chris became very ill and cancer was diagnosed. On 26 May 1990 he died after an intense and pain-filled battle with the disease. The Brotherhood was at the time on tour in Europe and continued the tour as a memorial of Chris.
Africa Beats is brought to you each month courtesy of the Afri-Beat Web Site.

Visit the Afri-Beat Web Site and enter the world of African music. http://www.afribeat.com

Dubbed Jazz at the National Theatre, this special event features The University of Pittsburgh Jazz Seminar All Stars, with none other than saxophonist Nathan Davis as director. Nathan Davis, is a member of the prestigious International Jazz Hall of Fame, and the creator of the International Jazz Archives Journal. He founded the Pitt Jazz Seminar and Concert in 1970. Having performed and toured with some of the era’s jazz all-stars including the Kenny Clarke Jazz Quintet, Donald Byrd, and the Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Davis’ commitment to jazz and education has kept him organizing the annual Pitt Jazz Seminar and Concert, keeping it alive for the past 30 years! Other performers, all accomplished in their own righr, who will be on the bill including Donald Byrd on trumpet, George Cables on piano, Melton Mustafa; trumpet, Idris Muhammad on drums, Robert Magnusson; bass, and Ghana’s ‘Prof’ Komla Amoako, Executive Director of the National Theatre of Ghana, on percussion! This is the first time this group is performing in Africa. And they have chosen Ghana as their first point of call to the motherland, and are themselves looking forward to visiting the country.

From their varied fields’, and era that they are coming from, the ‘All Stars’ concert promises to bring a myriad of experience to bear for Ghanaian musicians, and a fascinating and thrilling show for the audience.

Presented by the National Theatre of Ghana, the International Centre for African Music and Dance in cooperation with the Public Affairs Section of the U.S. Embassy, Jazz at the National Theatre is on at the National Theatre on Saturday December 16, at 8pm. Also in attendance will be the National Theatre of Ghana’s Vision Band. Tickets for this event cost C10,000, and are on sale in advance at the Asafo Gallery; National Theatre, and at the gate.

It was certainly an important message from Harris. A taxi arrived with a jolly feather in pointed shoes driving and raced me to the old baobab bar above the majestic square de independace of Dakar. There was a Cuban band playing with a bald fellow on the violin and a couple of tanies dancing. I don’t know how they recognised me but they were suprised, and sat me next to the old bird man with his yellow hair and hen picked teeth and a cage of hundreds and hundreds of sparrows. Douglas placed a clean 100000CFA on the table, freed a bird and bought his wisdom. katman nagadef fouley lekker nidagada lutman, he muttered in a soft voice.

The words were as illuminating as the musical Hair.

‘let us venture into the hinterland. let us take the path less travelled at least by naff whitey liberal left wing pacifist paff south africans, and head off to peru, to other parts of south america, take in the world of the aztecs and their contemporaties, and be blown away by cultures long gone who were far more advanced than our pitifull excuse for one. let us go to brazil and live the good life with fine looking ladies. let’s peruse eastern europe, the mystique of turkey, greece and even onto furhter eastern bound places such as the phillipines, thailand, china, japan, wherever. world domination pinkie, world domination, let’s be bohemian. let fine collaboration come out of fine collaborative experience. waddya say fred? good indeed splendid times being had.
consultant to the deities….’

It was Harris in a good mood and the ball was rolling…Douglas replied by letter and here we capture pieces of what we believe initially to have be a thesis on culture and industry, society and sustainability. He had enitled it ‘in pursuit of beauty.’ when your good you good replied sylvester with a tone of disconcilliance bringing a smile to his arrogant jestors tea-tree.

‘2.) As the canterloop pops, yes jack travel boy travel. where, when, what and how, the east? the west? wherever is the least and the best, the most yeast and the least zest. out of the west and awaken the beast, lest it test the treats. here we have the two most important tenants of what I regard as the future, and indeed I would like you to consider my master plan and see what we can do with regards such gratification.

make money, get involved with art, and live the high life in the house of opulence and extravagance. remember a market in turmoil is the most exciting market there is. and a beautiful country in turmoil. yes. we can make a change with our no-nonsense guide to the universal loving manner of hugging and kissing your neighbour even if it is a ridiculously supple sting ray. here end the summer.’

Douglas was in a good mood too and Dancing with the diaspora was the new move, it was no longer a glamorous romance of meaningless pursuit, it had become an attack. By reailsing this need to free the compositions from Africa and gather the musical giants, ‘dancing with the diaspora,’ became subversive, immoderate, beautiful and transcendent.

Back in Cape Town city at the palace, and afribeat.com had to be registered under a debacle involving Roberta Flack and Frank Zappa. Corporate spy Mbiko, uncovered this mystery and allowed these men to take the name under the production disguise of harris & douglas, and they were back in business for the first time since their famous jazz professor impressions at the robus kitch ‘n sync epilogues out at the piano lounge on loop street.

Douglas certainly couldn’t have realised how tight money was on that day, yet this struggle seemed merely a pre-meditation for the first class flight to Abidjan he was issued. Harris was awaiting on the runway with some officious ladies, the dancing girls and a tight schedule of festivaliering and shopping on the riviera.

As Baaba Maal says, “I want people to see Africa in new eyes, to have a very positive interest of Africa, to know that it is not dead, it is always alive and people can give confidence to Africa. We have a lot of strong people who really want to do something, who really want to participate in the universal development, but deeply to help Africa to give the place that Africa needs to have.”

And that’s what Dancing with the Diaspora is about – facilitating cultural exchange and the freeflow of music across the diaspora to explore its diverse and eclectic tradition, experience its rhythm and reconnect Africa with itself through music.

African music is not so much an art or aesthetic, it is the essence and beauty of life – dancing with sound, subtlety and fury and striding rhythmically through the ceremonial spirits of the African people, across the disparate landscapes and fragmented history – from birth, initiation and marriage, to death.

And through exciting travel across the diverse and descriptive landscapes, dancing with the diapsora is about – hanging with the musicians, learning about the politics, experiencing the difficulties, witnessing the struggle and sharing the information – all in the image of Africa.

An afribeat.com initiative, the first part of Dancing with the Diaspora travelled the vibrant West of Africa a region with such an economic disparity and cultural opulence, regions known more for what they don’t have then what they do.

A train line lies between two of West Africa’s greatest capitals, the filthy, fast, fickle and fantastical capital of Senegal, Dakar and the dusty, proud and stately capital of Mali, Bamako. It is a journey in excess of 1500 miles and 50 hours – dogged by the continual possibility of serious delay and theft and infected by the strenuous and soaring temperatures of the desert. But, it is an adventure across intriguing landscapes of vast distances, unmoving baobabs and antique villages with dignified inhabitants – and an adventure that through the contrasts, belies the fabulous cities that were my destinations.

As the train rocked, hovered, rattled, broke down, rose and made its way to Bamako and as the hustle, beat and bustle of the city life of Dakar slowly began to fade into a landscape of exceptional austerity, my mind drifted back to that crazy city: the fresh and placid ocean, the wonderful tropical belt, the glorious French architecture, the city that sees no rest or respite.

Panel beaten black and yellow taxis and marvellously conspicuous community busses congest the city centre hooting and hustling, whilst virtually incapacitated cripples and polio victims line some street corners like vultures relying on scraps as their only survival and traders prowl the others selling fruit, socks or bootleg cassettes as their only means. The desperation of the city hunches over the landscape – pointed, emaciated, unmoving, ominous and expecting.

Amongst this economic underdevelopment and this visibly disturbing imagery however, there exists an elegant and beautiful underbelly, a sincere religious and moral development, a proud political democracy and a vivid and vibrant cultural development. As with any great beauty – the beauty of Senegal lies somewhat concealed, but when found – glorious.

Up ahead the train tracks were broken and the train came to a stop somewhere near the border. Time passed slowly and constantly so I walked across to a nearby village. A few aged men dressed in the traditional flowing robes, dirtied from the dust and faded from the years of wear, sat smoking, staring. A man whistled quietly to himself, engaging occasionally in amiable interactions and then retreating into his world where only the melodic sound of his whistle was important.

Music is everywhere: from the radios, taxis and street corners, to the modest homes and rural villages – the thick African atmosphere of tradition, and pride in culture is inherent – all in the image of the region.

The crying, guttural and soaring voices of the Senegalese stars Youssou N’Dour, Baaba Maal, Ismael Lo, Omar Pene, reverberate across the impenetrable heat and harsh landscape, whilst the discordant circular rhythms reflect the raw and vivid expressions of the pain, tragedies and triumphs. Powerful drum beats encapsulate the strength and desire of the region and the delicate and intricate kora (traditional harp like instrument) echoes the breathtaking tradition and wonderful cultural beauty of this country – Senegal.

For many hours and more miles we may have travelled through the scorched anguish of the blue skies, the repressive prevalence of the desert sands, amongst the grubby sweat of excessive temperatures and the painfully meditative chatter of the train – through regions of neither a sign of life nor a sign that life could exist, until unexpectedly a sand coloured kingly palace of rough and intricate Sudanese design rose out of the desert sands, like a baobab that had been growing there for thousands of years.

Where the baobab had survived the draught, this building had survived the colonialism, communism and dictatorship that had paraded for many years before it. The incredible colour of culture and tradition has never faded and the people are still strong and hopeful. Life may be difficult, the region may be poor, but they are still full of cheer and pride – there is music and culture. This journey is part of Dancing with the Diaspora – an afribeat.com initiative – facilitating cultural exchange across Africa. With the greatest thanks to South African Airways.

‘There was once an old blues guitarist who played every day on the streets of New York these beautiful riffs and melodies.’ When somebody asked him what he was playing, he said in his drawl, ‘it’s juss music.’ And this was mis-interpreted as jazz music, thus referring to the spontaneity, freedom, and experimentation that jazz embodies.

‘To jazz means to have sex with someone’ another musician once said. And again the term was coined, suggesting the incredible intimacy and communication that passes between the musicians on stage.

Another musician from Cape Town in the 50’s once said that jazz began when early one morning, a women, let out a wild and loud wail. And it was from this point that the music evolved into jazz. Hence the expression, the impulsive sentiment and surprise in the music.

I think jazz is all of this and I believe it started when some women, somewhere was talking with some guy somewhere who was playing some instrument. She started singing, he carried on playing and together they began to share such a wonderful space of personal intimacy through this fresh music that they had created that they just carried on jamming, letting out all their expressions and emotions. They never took their clothes off, they didn’t need to, this communication was better than sex. So they called it jazz.

And from there this musically expressive form of sex – jazz evolved through different societal impressions and impersonations to create a vivid sound based on its very evolution.

Change, surprise, expression and spontaneity are the most important constants in jazz. And as a result, we have a variety of different styles, expressions and identities that have developed out of it. And most of all we have the incredible pleasure that jazz gives us through the communication it inspires.

What then is South African Jazz?

Click here for a full historical perspective of what South African jazz rose out of the environment, the circumstances, the musical influences and the ideology.

All such influences are central to exactly how jazz develops, however in a country like South Africa with a vast diversity of indigenous music?s, all those genres somehow get incorporated. A quick run-down of a few styles that have all effected jazz in this country.

Marabi
South African three-chord township music of the 1930s-1960s. Through the influences of particularly American jazz this evolved into “African Jazz”.

Kwela
South African pennywhistle music, it is light, fun and repetitive.

Jive
A South African term for popular music. The music is best recognised by its structured dance format.

Mbaqanga
A music first developed by the Zulu?s in Natal, this music is all about the repetitive rhythms and the use of voice as an instrument over it.

Iscathamiya
Traditional Zulu call-and-response a cappella choral music.

Africa Beats is brought to you each month courtesy of the Afri-Beat Web Site.

Visit the Afri-Beat Web Site and enter the world of African music. http://www.afribeat.com

As instructive a society Copenhagen is, it is astoundingly beautiful, boasting one of the few architectural landscapes never destroyed in the war, surrounded by a delightfully clear canal. Jobs are good, money is abundant, virtues are solid and the suicide rate is the highest in the world.

And that has got nothing to do with the jazz tradition in Copenhagen. In fact for a place so developed, culture has not suffered – jazz music is everywhere. It is not really an authentic culture, but a tradition developed from the great American players of the Sixties, like Stan Getz, Dexter Gordon, Ben Webster who took refuge in Copenhagen and created that environment. And their souls live on through a lot of the people.

Jazz clubs and tents scatter the tiny city, massive collections of bicycles mark the spot and bars bloat with an abundance of beer on tap. Bebop, straight ahead and avant-garde: there may not be much dancing, but there’s a lot of head-nodding. Cycling between events, collecting friends, watching mid-day heat disappear into late night sun, drinking beer, socialising generously, hugging, listening to jazz and drinking beer to the morbid arrival of the morning sun – the Copenhagen jazz festival is a lot of fun and festivity: slightly more sophisticated than a university piss-up, and a little less than a clubbers’ debauchery – and that’s where the music sits as well, rather precious and too precise.

“In Copenhagen we have excellent session musicians, but beyond that there is very little,” said one of the top Danish musicians to me in honest but derogatory private. The standard of jazz is extraordinary – the guys are playing – some are really building on what they have learnt, pushing the sound in a vivid avant-garde and Nordic direction, like Jacob Dineson, Jonas Johannsen and Hans Ulrik. But generally it is all too clever, all to forced, a little self-indulged and quite bland.

This is partly to do with Copenhagen’s broadband equality and the states generous involvement in uplifting the music scene, distorting that baseline ambition that drives jazz – but I believe it is mainly to do with the real educative approach to jazz music. They all go to college, they all master their instrument. “And some people don’t get beyond that,” says songstress Susi Hyldgaard, “leave the tradition and get their own sound”, as Jacob Dineson says, “they just get very good at the skill of playing.”

I began to feel quite numbed by this restrictive world, so the next morning I risked everything and took a walk into the centre of town. I marched past Copenhagen’s dangerously touristy Disneyland called Tivoli, I jay-walked despite ceaseless abuse from fellow pedestrians and taxi-drivers. I waved at Copenhagen’s most authentic tradition – hot-dog stands, I talked briefly to the cities greatest tourist attraction – a homeless man with a drum and I arrived at a little book store where outside a mannequins legs stuck vertically from a pile of books.

It was ten in the morning and a suitably peculiar site to make an entrance on. The owner was a marvellously charismatic looking fellow – with those wild Carlo Mombelli-ish good looks – and in a rough, rasping, Danish and descriptive voice he asked, “is it too early for a beer?” Having quit only a few hours before I duly accepted and we began to talk.

“I don’t listen to European jazz, when I do, I find it boring so I just forget about it,” he said as he pointed out his unique collection of books all titled by the letters of the alphabet. His name was Lars Rassmussan – a man, who lived and laughed by the philosophy of life – “there are two things in life – beers and books.”

“It all started with Abdullah Ibrahim in 1972,” he continued. “I went to a concert here at the old Jazzhouse. They played so well – there is such a tension, such an anger in the music. I am not really into jazz, but I was fascinated.”

So fascinated was he that he published two books on South African Jazz – on Abdullah and Sathima Bea Benjamin – and has launched a series, commencing around Christmas with a book on Johnny Dyani.

“The youth should know where their music comes from, it shouldn’t be like here where they think Michael Jackson invented music. And that is the story about South African jazz music,” he says. “It hasn’t been written yet.”

As we listened to some classic unreleased South African jazz recordings that Lars had, and chuckled at his immersion and dedication to a music scene he had hardly visited – I began to realise the striking contrast this rough and vivid sound created against the perfectly enjoyable European experience that had just passed before me, something Lars had been so exposed to and had realised many years before.

It was a typically dusty, dirty and insipidly hot day in Dakar and I had taken a cab out into the suburbs where Cheikh Lo lived. As was accustomed, our directions were poor and we relied again on street knowledge for our survival. After much pointing, animated explaining and sandy U-turns we arrived at his home.

“Me, I want to play every music. I want to travel, I want to discover every type of music.”

A picture of his tiny son poised behind a massive drum kit hung on the faded back wall of the lounge, another of the prophet Cheikh Ibra Fall, of the Baye Fall, hung adoringly framed on the opposite wall. Cheikh was in and amongst all of this, frenetically co-ordinating tours, talking on the ‘phone and shouting over the traditional Senegalese music blaring out of the sound system which sat in the corner of the room in a small oak cabinet, like a shrine surrounded by a few freshly picked flowers and a fascinating collection of disks.

“Me, I want to play every music. I want to travel, I want to discover every type of music. If you do that, you build one music, you create one music – because you can take here, take here, take here,” he says.

His music is just like that – a little bit of everything, Latin, Cuban, African and mbalax – but it comes together in a sound that is fresh, funky, vibrant. Beating tama-tamas thrash out the chaotic mbalax rhythm, funky basslines, Zairean Rumba and Cuban grooves together with that West African meets reggae back-beat to create an infinitely fashionable dance step, whilst his soaring voice conquers the frenzied emotions of his region. His mix is a unique and beautiful world music mix – a true African voice.

“Musicians must listen to other musicians to learn what to do and gain influences. Latin music influenced me as a little boy. Latin music is from Africa. My buzz musically is mbalax, but I listen to all music because I am curious – French music, American music, Cuban music, English music. Every music is Africa.”

Cheikh Lo expresses this “every music” with an intimate spirituality, so much a part of Senegal. Walking down the crazy hustle of Dakar’s streets, you are faced with the daily spirituality of the Muslim presence. During Friday lunch hours the streets are lined with people in beautiful flowing African robes – bent over in prayer. There is a small sect of people who hang outside a dingy yet tasty Lebanese take-away called Ado’s. They dance about with long dreads and Rastafarian iconography, very happy, very relaxed and tolerant – begging for their money. Occasionally, I gave them a little, occasionally I ignored them, but they were always friendly. They are the black Muslims, a small group in Senegal called the Baye Fall.

“I’m a Baye Fall – the first disciple of Cheikh Amadou Bab,” says Cheikh.

“He is the founder of the big temple in Tuba – he put the dreadlocks. If the Rastas came one day to Africa they will know their grandfather is a Baye Fall, because you are the same, the looks in Senegal and Jamaica.”

It is not that easy standing out in a conservative country. Lo lost his job playing in the house band at a local hotel for his dreads, and more than a few questions were raised amongst the locals about his ways. Happily, Senegal is very tolerant – people may not agree with his ways, but his intentions are good and that is the main thing.

“The conflict between all people aren’t Baye Fall. Today if you see the Arabic it is war war war. Everyday on the TV I see Arafat with the military, every year – how many years he do the war – he don’t stop the war. Mohammed is spiritual – he tells everybody – Arabian love – love your brother. The Bible say not war, love. The Q’uran say not war, love. Everywhere in the world say the same: not war, peace and love. Yes,” he sighs in an exaggerated pleasure of the basic simplicity of where religions meet. This is what Cheikh is about – telling the reality, honestly. Fighting the good cause sincerely.

As a result of this drive, he has made it to the top, and has become one of the West African artists to watch out for. He sits at the foot of a career poised to make a massive impression on the music market.

After trying to cut it in France and playing as a session musician for many years, Youssou N’Dour recognised Lo’s talent and immediately made a cassette with him – “Doxandeme”, which won him Dakar’s Nouveau Talent Award. His first full length album was recorded five years later at Youssou’s extravagant Xippi Studio in Dakar: “Ne La Thiass”.

In 1997 he won Best Newcomer at the Kora All Africa Music Awards, and in 1999 he received the prestigious Ordre National de Merit de Leon from the President of Senegal.

Now, Lo has a new release, “Bambay Gueej”, a beautiful hybrid from all over the world – essentially African and rooted in Senegal, the place he gains his inspiration from and the home he is loyal to.

“Everybody has this problem to live somewhere. I never want to go to live in Paris, England or anywhere. I want to live in Senegal because I know if you have peace, you have good in Senegal. The system is not closed – you are free.” “In Europe you can’t bring some money for the poor town. One moment you are there, then it is two years, three years you can’t come back. You are nothing. You drink alcohol,” he repeats with disgusted animation, “you have old women – what life do you have. Go home, go in your home man, there is a lot of jobs to do there, to build here in Africa.”
Africa Beats is brought to you each month courtesy of the Afri-Beat Web Site.

Visit the Afri-Beat Web Site and enter the world of African music. http://www.afribeat.com

Born Barceló de Carvalho in 1942, Bonga has phased through many areas of stardom and struggle to become one of Africa’s powerful voices of consciousness. Music, sport and politics were always inextricably linked for the young Bonga. It was in the ’60s that Bonga’s musical career began with the group Kissueia, winning popularity amongst the student community for challenging lyrics addressing the country’s critical social issues. As a young star athlete, he set a ten year long world-class 400 meter record and later became a major football icon as part of the great Benfica (Lisbon) football team of the 1960s. His sporting stardom afforded him movement between Europe and Angola that were not afforded regular citizens at the time, and he used to carry messages between exiled freedom fighters and compatriots still in Angola. It also provided him the opportunity to use his music as a further means of opposing the colonial powers, an activity that eventually forced him into exile as the independence movement intensified and he came to prominence as the face behind key pro-independence songs.

Since the ’70s, Bonga has been the Angolan ambassador to the world of Afropop. In 1972, he left Lisbon to protest the colonial war in Angola, settling in Rotterdam where he recorded his first album, Angola 72. His subversive lyrics earned him an arrest warrant and a nomadic lifestyle that bounced him between Belgium, Germany and France until independence was declared in 1975.

Bonga’s voice has been a true voice of revolution – a voice against the tyranny of both the Portuguese colonisers, and, post-independence, the warring MPLA and UNITA parties that continue to fight for control of the country.

As good as Jesus Alemany (lead trumpeter and singer of the band) is, if God was a singer, surely he would be Buena Vista social club lead Ibrahim Ferrer? What if he was a piano player? Ruben Gonzales perhaps or McCoy Tyner. If God had great fingers he would be Pat Metheny and if he sang the Blues, B.B. King. If the godfather was a funkster he would of course be Maceo Parker, and if he was a smooth cat, Al Jarreau or George Benson. Then there is the ghetto god, DeAngelo and the more than angelic powers of trumpeters Wanton Marsalis and Roy Hargroves.

These are only a few of the many deities of jazz related music, male or female, mortal, immortal, living or dead who have graced the North Sea Jazz Festival in Den Haige (Holland) over the last twenty five years. It’s the greatest meeting place for the greatest names in music to not only catch up on a cultural level but socially and commercially as well.

And when the popes are hanging, jamming and preaching – the groupies, the fans, the believers and the curious have got to be there – and they were. In fact a capacity crowd of 70,000 over the three days, squashed, pushed and squeezed their way into the massive monolith of a congress building, housing the 16 stages of the worlds largest jazz festival. It was just as well that Mary gave birth in Bethlehem, because if she was in Den Haige over the period of the NSJ, there would have been absolutely no room in any inn, hotel or brothel – and then where would have Jesus been singing?

And as a result, the festival becomes a bunfight, often becoming as nebulous as Sunday afternoons trainspotting. The friendly, relaxed and compassionate atmosphere a festival is meant to inspire is replaced by the driving and frenetic hustle of those ticking of names in their birdbook, names that they may have little affinity to other than years of media indigestion.

Everybody in the audience would have heard of Tony Bennett and Al Jarreau. B.B. King needs no introduction. Diana Krall gets shoved down there throats all day on TV, whilst Buena Vista Social Club has moved into just about every white suburban CD player. And that’s what the NSJ brings you – the names that will bring the biggest crowds, together over a short period of time, little hassle, little fuss – bring your car and park it, it is the perfect place for you to shop.

How would a hungry child react if you popped a dollop of mustard in its baby-food? I am not completely sure, nor I am advocating the activity, but risk, pushing boundaries and surprise are essential elements of jazz music – elements that the festival largely ignored. (There was a stage dedicated to unknown Dutch acts and another for the IAJE development bands – but they were unfortunately hidden and the major focus remained on the major acts).

Of the South African guys, Moses Molelekwa and Jimmy Dludlu were superb (contravening popular belief), that local music is no more inferior than those big international names. Both played to full houses, standing ovations and fabulous responses. But for the rest of Africa it was Youssou N’Dour again. Perhaps because of international success through high-calibre collaborations and a more universal and poppier sound he remains the one West African act out of a massive sea of extraordinary talent who is continually booked!

All said, it can not be denied that the festival is a hugely positive event for Holland and the world in that it exposes people of a variety of ages to a variety of music forms. It brings stars into the country and injects interest into the music industry, but for the Dutch musicians, I remain unsure on the effect it is having, whether it is inspiring or throttling growth, whether it is showcasing European talent on the same stage as America talent or whether the local musicians are being sold out to something of a jazz cultural imperialism?

And the answer to this, we can never know and we probably never need know, as these things seem to work in a cycle. A little like the Grahamstown festival has taken 25 years to wax from genuine artistic expression to straight commercialism and wane to pretty unpopular – perhaps the fact that the NSJ is loosing a little integrity and exceeding its audience is opening the space for another grass-roots festival and expression to begin. And perhaps South Africa’s own version of it, with its own integrity is the future.

Her expressive bending of pitches (often heard in modern jazz as a hybrid of the so-called “blue note”) has been retained here and the tonal system of African music can be appreciated further especially since the tonal quality and melodic style of African singing ultimately had some impact on jazz, whether sung or played. Memories of her years in exile surface on “I Shall Sing,” and you can literally feel her pain on “Quit It” a song with an anti-drug message which was composed by her late daughter. Miriam Makeba is back on solid ground and sounding better than ever. Reflections is just in time to celebrate the historic ten-year anniversary of the end of apartheid.

Reprinted with permission of…

Andy doesn’t “clobber” his instrument – the notes come softly, with the ring of a vibraphone. On many tunes he sits back, allowing the guitars and keyboards to speak up. Andile Yenana has a strong piano, driving firm notes on “Play One for Keith” – Andy glimmers behind, in a charming effect. The slightly Brazilian theme of “Kalinda” is stated calmly, while guitars comment from each speaker. (Louis Mhlanga is joyous, with a good springy tone.) “Jenny’s Room” is furnished with a big bass (Danny Lalouette) and a tiny bit of steel; “Hannibal’s Revenge” is more aggressive, descending with a strength that grows on you. After three minutes Andy drops out, and the other drummers converse – it’s earthy, and the heat keeps rising. If you need a vacation, this is it.

Next is “Cape Town to Congo Square”, a three-part suite: it begins with quiet blues, played over Gray’s second-line. McLaurine’s solo is rich and buoyant; the second movement is tougher, with lots of left hand. “Too-Kah” has a warm gospel feel, garnished with cymbals – the whole work is short, but it’s “suite”.

“Tintinyana” was first heard on the album, in a forceful trio. This time, after Abdullah works the big bassline, we hear the tart trumpet of Feya Faku. He’s got the tone of Clark Terry, and the wistful mood of Miles – now there’s a combination. Feya flutters high on the blues “Tsakwe” (how Gray runs on this one) and plays “Soweto” with a friendly rasp. He’s a great performer, and I wish we heard more of him.

Throughout history, hardship and adversity have often been a driving force behind the creative process. Individuals stricken by tragedy tap into internal strengths and become better and stronger human beings in the process. Nations and cultures that struggle under oppression ultimately rise up and reinvent their destinies.

Joseph Shabalala and his compatriots in the South African vocal group Ladysmith Black Mambazo know these truths all too well. Against a daunting backdrop of political upheaval, social unrest and personal tragedy, the 10-member group has spent the past three decades fusing the disparate but spiritually resonant traditions of Zulu music and Christian gospel music. Along the way, they have learned to harness the healing and unifying power of music as a means to transcend the dark places and raise their spirits higher.

Heads Up International announces the release of Raise Your Spirit Higher – Wenyukela (HUCD 3083) and (HUSA 3083), the new Hybrid SACD in 5.1 Surround Sound from Ladysmith Black Mambazo, on January 27, 2004. In English, the word Wenyukela means “raise your spirit higher,” but the language of Shabalala’s stirring and richly layered vocal compositions is universal. Raise Your Spirit Higher – Wenyukela is Black Mambazo’s message of hope and unity to a troubled world.

The thirteen tracks on Raise Your Spirit Higher – Wenyukela reiterate the message that has transcended Black Mambazo’s music since the group’s earliest days. Survivors of the apartheid movement that divided South Africa for generations, the group widens their scope on this record and addresses many of the same kinds of struggles and cultural clashes that persist around the world.

“The group is as strong as they’ve ever been – full of optimism for the future of their country and for the world, regardless of recent world events,” says one of their managers. “South Africa has been through horrible times. They’ve been through clashes – people disagreeing, people fighting, people killing each other – and Black Mambazo has seen their country come together and work as one people. This is the philosophy that they bring out in their singing and in their performances. This is their message for the world.”

And while the music is clearly rooted in African musical traditions, the message speaks to all people whose ears and hearts are open, says Shabalala, a native of South Africa’s Zulu people who converted to Christianity around the time of his musical awakening in the late 1950s and early ’60s. “Without hearing the lyrics, this music gets into the blood, because it comes from the blood,” he says. “It invokes enthusiasm and excitement, regardless of what you follow spiritually.”

Shabalala’s own spirituality underwent the supreme test during the making of this record. In the spring of 2002, his wife of thirty years was murdered in a church parking lot by a masked gunman. To date, no conviction has been made. But despite the overwhelming grief and rage that inevitably follows such a profound loss, Shabalala chose the spiritual high road and has remained on it since. He keeps Nellie’s memory and spirit alive in his heart and in his music, and his faith remains unshaken.

“At the time that this happened, I tried to take my mind deep into the spirit, because I know the truth is there,” he says. “In my flesh, I might be angry, I might cry, I might suspect somebody. But when I took my mind into the spirit, the spirit told me to be calm and not to worry. Bad things happen, and the only thing to do is to raise your spirit higher.”

He had help from his teenage grandsons, who express their love and support in “Tribute,” a short but moving hip-hop track that closes out Raise Your Spirit Higher – Wenyukela. On the track, they urge their grandfather to be strong and not worry, because their grandmother is in a better and happier place.

And if one South African artist can be remembered by his hat – it’s Winston Mankunku with that funky Nike peak. Not a traditional hat, nor a jazz convention, but a hat that indicates Mankunku’s style – Afro-American jazz, the expression of the black diaspora.

Mankunku identified and empathised with America’s parallel stream of socio-cultural suppression, the shouts and screams from the free jazz of Coltrane and Coleman. Avant-garde and free-form could best express the frustrations, the hardships and the rigid, oppressive and destructive laws of the period.

His signature tune, ‘Yakhal Nkomo’ (Raging Bull) became famous locally and abroad quickly entering the soul of the struggle and he became the anchoring jazz-man on the local scene.

Whilst vibrant communities were destroyed and inter-racial interaction banned. Mankunku skirted restrictions and hid his race by playing behind curtains at gigs under the alias Winston Man. But, when he received barely any financial reward from the successes of Yakhal Nkomo, Winston quit the scene, disillusioned, cynical and broken by this exploitation.

It was only until the late ’70s that he was inspired to play again, going on to record Jika and Dudula with Mike Perry.

His latest album, ‘Molo Africa’ (Hello Africa), is a beautiful blend of the traditional African rhythms of mbaqanga, and spacious yet bustling sax-improvisation. It is the quintessential South African jazz album, and a victorious tribute to a great musician. His excellence was finally recognised in 1999, where he won the South African Music Association (SAMA) award for best traditional jazz.
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“I love sushi,” says a cool-grooving charismatic Hugh. “You can eat it at midnight and not get nightmares. When I came out of rehab I had a major appetite. I had a major appetite before, so now I’m working on just eating nutritional food. Japanese food is expensive, but there isn’t a sliver of fat anywhere, and I think we must shift ourselves in that direction. When I left this country, people used to walk a lot, they were much more slender and much healthier looking, but now people don’t walk and there’s so much fast food takeaways. I know that Bimbos are going to hate me for this but…”

So a utopian South Africa for Hugh would be one inundated with inexpensive Japanese sushi bars, keeping the nation trim and high on wasabi? Perhaps an odd vision for a man revelling more than ever before in being South African and playing to South African audiences, regardless of their culinary habits.

“Yeah, I love South Africa, I’m a pig in mud. I was very homesick for 32 years, and I’m just knocked out to be home. ” And the Jazz Africa festival in December proved that not only is he knocked out to be home, but the audiences are knocked out to have him. “The music relates to who the people really are, to the audiences, they enjoy it because we’re a country in search of itself. We’re obsessed with letting people have the confidence for it to be okay to be South African, ’cause it’s great to be South African. We enjoy playing for people and we’re very appreciative of the fact that we’re South Africans and we got the music.”

The people, he says, are his main inspiration. And the world, being alive. But it’s really about the ordinary people. And that’s reflected in the band. “We’re sort of a plebby group, but we’re slowly roping in the Marie Antoinettes. They’re also finding out that they are victims of the isolation. We have basically the same reaction everywhere we go, and as a good group of musicians, I think that is what happens, we have a great chemistry, and we all sing together, we like each other, we’re a silly brotherhood. I think we’re a pleasant group not a showbizzy group.”

Showbizzy they might not be, but cutting edge they certainly are. “We’re obssessed with bringing back the past with a now vibe,” which means incorporating new sounds like kwaito. “Yeah, yeah kwaito. When we did mbaqanga in the ’50s they said the same thing about it, `aagghh township music, it’s for drunkards, and loose people who drink and take drugs, the chicks are loose, fucken rubbernecks’, and people said `don’t be a muso because you’ll become a drunk’, and when Brenda Fassie and Chico and them came out they were condemned the same way, `aagghh it’s bubble gum’. But 5 years from now kwaito will be like our daily bread, ’cause it’s culture from the townships, the majority of the population of this country are the youth, and that’s their music.”

With the energy and enthusiasm of a youth, where exactly is Hugh headed?

A visit to South Africa in 1998 with keyboardist McBride (the first American to ever perform at Cape Town’s annual Jazzathon) provided Love with the initial inspiration to debut Smooth Africa. “I had fallen in love with the entire country, its people, its culture,” says Love. “But mostly I was amazed by the talented local musicians who played with Joe, and felt they needed to be heard outside of South Africa.”

The twelve selections on Smooth Africa II: Exploring the Soul are as varied and exciting as the performers. The upbeat opener, “Walk of Life,” featuring the Soweto String Quartet spotlights the acclaimed guitarist Jimmy Dludlu, whom the legendary Hugh Masekela once compared to Charlie Christian or Django Reinhardt. The world’s best-known African group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, tackles “Uniting Nations Together.” Remixed by D’Influence, Joseph Shabala’s composition is based on a traditional Zulu song about national unity.

Up-and-coming guitarist Allou April (who performed with McBride at Jazzathon) sings his local Cape Town hit “Bringing Joy.” Shaluza Max, the recent winner of a the SAMA for Best Zulu Album, is a spirited performer whose vocals are well served by the driving rhythms of “Mangase.” The guitarist, vocalist and composer Oliver Mtukudzi, is one of Southern Africa’s greatest stars, contributes “Neria,” from his soundtrack written for the internationally acclaimed feature film from Zimbabwe of the same name.

Elsewhere the program runs from guitarist Prince Kupi’s arrangement of the traditional folk song “Botsotsi,” through contemporary jazz legend’s Spyro Gyra’s “Cape Town Love” and steel pan master Andy Narell’s “Punch,” to saxophonist Moses Khumalo’s gospel-influenced “Hymn for Taiwa” and vocalist Gloria Bosman’s lilting “Umuntu Wakho.” Smooth Africa II: Exploring the Soul ends with “Aderley Street” and “Yebo,” a pair of Joe McBride compositions featuring South Africans Gerald Stockton on bass and Mike Drake on drums.

“I’m extremely pleased with how this project turned out,” says Love. “Traveling often to South Africa has been such a positive experience for me. Even after nine visits, I’m still looking forward to exploring more music. With this new album I hope to highlight more top-notch players, and bring new audiences to their unique sounds.”

This collection conveys the spirit of African music as a living tradition, and the artists manage to be versatile without losing their own identity. With its contemporary spirit nudging the music out of a purely African box, Smooth Africa II: Exploring the Soul is a must for pop and jazz fans, as well as aficionados of world music.

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And now with Hilton, he’s reconstructing an evolved form of Namaqua, featuring trumpeter Alex van Heerden and DJ Hamma, and as guests Liz Brockhart and Valmont Layne. It’s going to be more subtle than the original Namaqua outfit, more layered and complex he tells me, playing both old Namaqua compositions as well as new material.
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I landed up talking to the student for about half an hour about silence – how to bring your voice out in your sound. I spoke about art and silence. And then I had to play, so I pulled out this emotional ballad, called ‘My friends and I’ – just the simplest piece of music,” tells South African fretless bass player Carlo Mombelli.

No papers and no teaching experience, Carlo got the job, because that is exactly what he is about – a passion to share, to learn and an intensity in discovering that artistic expression that is completely personal.

In the beginnings of his career he practiced so intensely (fourteen hours a day) that his right hand seized up. As a result of the pain and the ensuing operation, he experimented and learnt new means of playing with the left hand using hammer-ons and lift-offs. Bass player Magazine once suggested that he might have been playing backwards. It may be pretty extraordinary playing, but he’s certainly playing forwards.

He learnt classical piano as a child, moved to the bass where he played wild and free jazz with Johnny Fourie in the 80’s. Throttled by the difficulties in South Africa he moved to Germany and experienced a variety of expressions, witnessed a diversity of directions, and played with some great players. From the Brazilian rhythms of Riaz de Pedra and Egberto Gismonti to performances and recordings with Charlie Mariano, Mick Goodrick and Lee Konitz. All these ideas are reflected in his work through the lens of his rare vision, voice and emotion.

In 1993 he was invited to compose and record a piece for the tribute CD “Basstorius” (Hot Wire Records) to the late great bassist Jaco Pastorius. In 1995 Carlo joined the Brazilian band “Raiz De Pedra”, performing at the European festivals as well as touring Brazil. Carlo has performed solo bass concerts (The art of slow motion) and ‘Bats’ – a live recording in Munich – was his fifth.

His music influences have been so many and varied and his passion to share so huge that his return is of great benefit to the local industry, where we the audiences may absorb the huge variety of influences that have shared in the development of his style and his unique voice.

After 11 years of exploring music in Germany, Carlo has returned to his hometown, Johannesburg with his first release in South Africa (fifth in all) – ‘Bats in the Belfry,’ and a local band ‘Prisoners of Strange’, featuring the master of subtlety, Johnny Fourie on guitar and trumpet talent Marcus Wyatt.

Amandla – ngawethu: Chicco, Brenda, Juluka, Harari, Johannes Kerkorrel. These were some of the stars far-flung South Africa jived with. The stars of protest and popular music that came together and gave the people inspiration, courage, and comfort. Siyaya phambili – we are going forward.

Campuses danced, whistled, communities marched, cheered and stadiums were alive with the shouts, screams and songs of freedom. Radical, satirical, jazz or pop – music by its nature was politicised. It was about society, about freedom, fashioning an honest culture and building a democratic nation. Musicians spearheaded the cultural revolution to seize power from the oppressors and conscientise people to the struggle for liberation.

Isiginci asakh’umuzi – a guitar doesn’t build a homestead goes the age-old Zulu prophecy, but in such circumstances- isiginci siyakha’ ilizwe – a guitar builds a nation.

Through the two dark decades of Apartheid’s desperate repression musicians scattered. Some stayedin the country compromising their ethics, abilities and earnings. Chris Macgregor wore a cap to hide his blonde locks. Winston Mankunku played behind a curtain, Basil Coetzee quit the scene to work in a shoe factory and Kippie Moeketsi died a very frustrated man. Abdullah Ibrahim couldn’t take the humiliation. He left. So too with the King Kong musical and The Blue Notes. And the rich vernacular of South African culture had been sucked dry exposing a desolate musical vacuum.

Ray Phiri (R)

By the sixties, black America had wrestled civil rights, post-war economics had improved and the whole world was dancing to a new consciousness – peace, universal love and flower power. Even BraHugh Masekela became a hippie. Against this back-drop of ‘peace’ and ‘tolerance’, the PAC (Pan African Congress) split from the ANC, giving birth to the Black Consciousness movement and stimulating another purposeful arm for the struggle and a sense of belonging for musicians abroad.

Black South Africans were challenging, building confidence and redefining who they were. Through milestone recordings like ‘Union of South Africa’ and Abdullah Ibrahim’s ‘Mannenberg’ in the 70’s, artists were cementing and celebrating the culture of their oppressed homeland. It was an outpouring of African culture and self-validation, on still a small and distant scale, but the liberation movement was evolving and striving to a point of full confidence.

“There is a train …,” sang Masekela in ‘Stimela’. “Sixteen hours of work a day for almost no pay. Deep, deep down in the belly of the earth, where they are digging and drilling for that mighty evasive stone. They’re dished up mishmash food on their iron plates with an iron shovel or when they sit in their stinky, funky, filthy flea-ridden barracks, they think about the loved ones they’ll never see again because they have been forcibly removed… Think about their lands and their herds taken away from them with the gun and the bomb and the teargas and the cannon.”

“Music is our strength, our mobilizer. Music makes our people very strong when they are together, it enables people to keep on struggling under terrible conditions, ” said Don Ngubeni – director of Radio Freedom.

As part of the ANC’s cultural wing, Amandla, Radio Freedom provided the only alternative to the strongly censored South African Broadcasting Corporation. It merged political content and news with popular music of many banned artists here, in exile and internationally. From Miriam Makeba’s banned records to Jimmy Cliff’s ‘Struggling Man’ and Bob Marley’s ‘Blackman Redemption’. Aspirations suddenly found expression in the media and gave the ANC the possibility of being in constant and dynamic contact with the people – building the protest platform and shifting the consciousness of the people to a restlessness and a defiance of apartheid. ‘Freedom or death.’

‘Get up, stand up. Stand up for your rights.’ The late seventies was slowly freeing itself from cultural imperialism. Young people were defying cultural and racial intolerance all over the world, freeing themselves from repression and getting on down to the simple reggae messages of liberation and equality. The birth of the eighties was a period of revival.

Philip Tabane (Malombo)

“In a time of intense repression where people didn’t meet – young people of all colours and cultures could come together to jol [party],” says Steve Gordon of Making Music. “And this attracted the interest of the police and made those ordinary jol activities a focus of petty repression and police brutality, whether it be teargas or cracking people over the heads. They would then become politicised. This stimulated a consciousness and desire for us in South Africa to have our own expression forms and to assert, platform and develop them in a gut and soulful way.”

The audience, the artists, the communities were all hungry for expression and the emergence of the activism and organised resistance of the UDF provided this catalyst inside the country. The UDF created a political platform for musicians to come out of hibernation and play and be heard through rallies, festivals and community concerts.

Basil Coetzee left the shoe factory, guys like Robbie Jansen could get out of the funk and pop of
the club scene. Local bands came together with a greater mission than just jamming. They had to balance in the treacherous world of South Africa, with that chilling chip of local politics weighing down the one shoulder. They looked to the roots, the pride of the Africanist music perspective for the counterbalance.

Attenborough’s ‘Cry Freedom,’ and Mandela’s massive birthday at Wembley Stadium (the third biggest media event ever – more than a billion people watched it live) made a huge international impact, and began closing the gap on apartheid, speeding up the economic embargoes.

‘The Info song’ – a ‘We are the world’ type propaganda song featuring ‘sell-out’ black musicians Zane Adams and Steve Kekana tried to slow the inevitable, but was a massive failure. Young white South Africans were also gradually becoming  conscientised. ECC (End Conscription Campaign) was mobilised and had a significant cultural profile and white musicians joined for the passionate and impulsive ‘Voel vry’ tour of suburbia and the campuses.

Eighties music became the reflection of the blossoming of years of mass struggle: Celebrating cultural heritage and identity; representing the shifting perceptions of community, empowerment, identity and gender relations; and projecting the birth pangs of a new world of change.

Johnny Clegg

One human – one vote, many races – one people. Salvation, liberation and unity across racial and cultural barriers was becoming a popular ideology. And when Paul Simon and the Graceland tour controversially broke the boycottwith local acts like Ladysmith Black Mambaso, Ray Phiri and Savuka on a hugely spectacular local and international platform, the face of South African music was being exposed and the multi-cultural base solidified.

“Coming back home, man it was like John Glen coming back from space,” said Hugh Masekela. The exiles returned and Madiba was freed. The euphoria had begun, South Africa was emerging from the belly of imperialism, divide and reaction.

And now, the posters of protest, the colour of hope and the vibrant performance energy lace our world with nostalgia. We may remember those that died on the road, Johnny Dyani,
Steve Bantu Biko, Kippie Moeketsi, Dudu Pukwana, Nat Nakasa to name but a few. We may celebrate the good, those that never faltered from the path of Africanist intentions and we
may draw survivalist lessons from the horrors that paved their way.

A generation suffered and struggled and they are the true African renaissance people. It is through their pain that we, the youth, may grow together. “Go on, go on my son, take over,” said Tsepo Tshola, and don’t forget your heritage, it’s what they struggled for and its what we have.

The artists who have been before are all unique and authentic. The African Renaissance is an African thing, for Africa, by Africans. And that’s the doctrine youth culture can benefit from explains Valmont Layne, “it needs to touch base with what’s been before, a sense of cultural heritage – the local touch that gives our culture its uniqueness.”

“We have to look at the wealth that is here,” agrees Steve Gordon “and slowly build content on that. Otherwise this African Renaissance is just a package of zebra skins and marimba music in elevators.”

Vulindlele. What was a stream yesterday is now a river. The world, the market, the media and the industry have changed. It is a digital age, a global market and music video culture. The previously fragmented youth market is slowly merging and young artists are endowed with many more opportunities to record, gig, be recognised and sell albums. Musicians are asserting their identity with a lot more freedom, scope and confidence to express themselves multi-lingually and multi-culturally in an environment that encourages sharing and development. And that is liberating. Africa Beats is brought to you each month courtesy of the Afri-Beat Web Site.

Visit the Afri-Beat Web Site and enter the world of African music. http://www.afribeat.com

But, there is an African city with an African reality and an African music business, making a more vivid and still a lucrative economic statement, illustrating that an authentic and cultured musical palette is not only infinitely desirable and important but successful too. And that is the fantastic city of Dakar in Senegal.

“This music belongs much more to the people than anyone else – because it comes from there culture, it is part of them,” said Baaba Maal, whilst on tour raising awareness for a young polio victim in the tiny way out village of Mboro in the North.

And when the village was thrust into darkness to run sufficient power for the sound on stage – nothing more than a collection of high jump mats and hundred gallon drums on a random tract of desert – and when the gig only got underway after 3am on that cold desert morning, the importance of culture became absolutely lucid.

The entire village was there, the young, the old, the conservative and the outgoing – dancing in the desert dust and loving. And that is what Senegal is about – culture is their national pride. And the industry is supporting not exploiting this.

Almost every musician who has made it, is resisting the desires to immigrate, building an infrastructure and trying to make a difference in their country. And the musicians are working closely with the youth, instilling hope and pushing the music business in a direction that will know many many more stars in the future. “The youth here have great talent, but they don’t have the opportunity to do anything – we must help the youth to do something and be known world wide,” says Coumba Gowlo, who recently went Platinum doing a Senegalese version of Miriam Makeba’s ‘Pata Pata.’ She has created a label (Sabar) and a night-club (the Jpessie nights) to fulfil this ambition and the vision of creating an infrastructure now for tomorrow.

“Everybody knows the media industry is not yet a money making industry,” says Youssou N’Dour who has famously developed a massive music and media business infrastructure, including the recording studio (Xippi), record label (Jololi), cassette plant, equipment rental company, night-club (Thiossane), radio station (7FM), newspaper (L’Info 7) and over 50 employers.

“It is an enterprise that will be for tomorrow,” he says. “I am a builder, like if computers become what they are today it is because Bill Gates believed in it. I vote for information on culture because this can get out the tyranny of the politics. Information about culture interests the public.”

And with four daily newspapers and a variety of radio stations, all dedicated to local content, the music of the region sings out everywhere. The small, dim and ebullient late-night hangouts dance to the chaotic mbalax rhythms, whilst sensual rumba goes down at the flash jazz den. On the back streets there’s a strong culture of hip hop, the main-streets are congested with panelbeaten black and yellow taxis bulging to the sounds of local music and bootleg cassette traders hunch over every street corner grooving to the greatest selection of Senegalese sounds.

It is an African culture with great pride, borne out of a sincere depth of tradition. A little like the Italians love their food. An Italian writer in disgusted response to the advent of a Macdonalds in Rome wrote ‘the slow food manifesto.’ A book defending the right for pleasure, the importance of preserving local foods and recipes and cultivating an environment that allows us a better quality of life. Eat less, but eat better.

And this is the same metaphor for the ‘fast music’ being served to us by the industry. It is offensive – it is about business, not art. Senegal is a much smaller country than ours, but their industry doesn’t patronise them, it feeds them properly, and we the South African public should demand the same, and then perhaps the industry will take notice.

Combining South side drive with Francophile panache and the traditional quartet swing of “Witchcraft” with the funk band agitation of “Crash,” Barber shows a command and a cool that others could only get perhaps from their new husbands. And though other standards such as Johnny Mercer¹s “Laura” may languish a bit too much, the gender-flip of “Norwegian Wood” and the propulsive original “Whiteworld” refresh and keep the quartet of audiences involved and appreciative.

© 2004, M. S. Robinson, ARR

Her presence is felt from the very first track Don’t Turn My Love Away, a slick piece that is sure to get plenty of air play. Everything Your Heart Desires is classic Incognito with their harmonies and jazzy interludes. Their housed-up cover of the Doobie Brothers’ classic Listen To The Music is one of my favorites, with Maysa’s soulful voice shining through. Fences & Barriers is another one to watch out for, Maysa pours her soul into it.

Featuring the likes of Gerald Albright, Ronny Jordan, Maysa Leak and Kenny Blake “Acquainted With The Night” brings on the fire and smoke that you expect from a group that helped pioneer smooth jazz. And let me give a nod to Heads Up Records for signing yet another fine group to their label and letting them create the kind of music they are known for, rather than trying to ‘mold’ them into some vision…

The remake of “Theme from Mahogany” is great, but “Upside Down” is a little flat in my opinion. That’s the only down side to the CD. The rest is a festival of smooth rhythms, funky licks and soaring melodies. Smooth Jazz has come to have a somewhat commercial connotation to it recently, and then along comes Pieces of a Dream to remind us why Smooth Jazz got so popular in the first place. All you Smooth Jazz clones Take Note...this is the straight juice, not watered down and pumped out in an afternoon between tours. I expect it will get a lot of airplay.

“Sophistry” is an uptempo cooker that has an abundance of energy and spark. The camaraderie between Osby and the young Harris, prodded on by Garnett and Burno makes for attractive possibilities. Wilson’s probing soprano lines and Turre’s melancholy trombone gives weight to the polished ballad “In the Garden of Thought.” Harris’s vibraphone creativity lets the story slowly unfold for vocalist June Gardner, a glamorous songbird. Harris’s inspired level of playing does not decline for the title track “A Cloud of Red Dust.” The vibist receives enthusiastic support from Miller, Osby, and company, but it is his intellectual, grand themes and his impassioned playing that win the listener over.

Memorable melodies like the cheerful “Linus And Lucy,” the whimsically swinging “Skating,” the bittersweet “Christmastime Is Here” and the groovy boogaloo “Christmas is Coming” have become ingrained in our collective consciousness. Like those Beatles, Stones and Dylan records, Guaraldi’s jazzy score has endured. Now, 41 years after its initial airing and 30 years after the pianist-composer himself passed away from a heart attack in 1976 at age 47, Fantasy is releasing a new Expanded Edition of this holiday favorite.

Remixed in stereo using 24-bit remastering from the original tapes and featuring the original cover art reinstated with the approval of United Media and the Estate of Charles Schultz, A Charlie Brown Christmas includes four previously unissued bonus tracks by the Vince Guaraldi Trio (featuring Fred Marshall on bass and Jerry Granelli on drums).

As Shawn Haney wrote in the Ail Music Guide to Jazz: “Guaraldi strings together elegant, enticing arrangements that reflect the spirit and mood of Schulz’s work and introduce contemporary jazz to youngsters with grace, charm and creativity. (His) penetrating improvisational phrases paint pictures of the first winter snowfall, myriads of glistening trees and powdery white landscapes.“

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And when Aaron did take a break, Brother Charles led the band with his hot sax through such instrumental crowd-pleasers as a sultry syncopated samba of “Besame Mucho” and a groovy “Ode to Billie Joe.” Losing some of his signature shivery syllables in a humming mic and dropping off the set list for a mumbly “Gypsy Woman,” Neville indeed brought it all back home with his fraternal hit “Yellow Moon.” Though he made no mention of his recently abandoned home, Aaron’s cover of Randy Newman’s “Louisiana” was especially heartfelt and touching and his signature song “Tell it Like it Is” did just that.

Malone is both spicy and sweet on “Sugar Buzz,” which features his dynamic guitar riffs and a sensational solo by vibist Joe Locke. However, most notable is the amazing departure from his previous musical direction and the new one he has taken with “Mandela.” With the spiritual impact and strengthening of emotional expression from alto saxophonist Gary Bartz, this song has an astounding effect on the listener and is certain to raise the bar on the true compositional integrity of Malone. Overall, the success of this recording lies in Malone’s seemingly effortless playing and the creative impulses derived and executed by his accompanists. Excellent repertoire here, be it the musically altered pop standard “We’ve Only Just Begun” or the revived “You’ve Got A Friend,” the nature of Russell Malone’s guitar has a flow of rhapsodic eloquence and the spirit of his music is unmistakable.

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Though the female vocalists who accompany and parry with King Louis pale greatly in comparison with Satrchmo and the women who might have been available at the time, Armstrong’s own range shines on this compilation, from the trademark gravelly rasp of “I’m Crazy ŒBout My Baby” to the surprisingly open matinee croon of “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love.” Louis throws ina bit of Jolson-esque mugging as well on Hoagy Carmichael’s “My Sweet.” In addition to the contemporary cleanness noticible on this disc are moments of very modern tecording technology, including a two-track self harmonization on Thomas “Fats” Waller’s “I’ve Got A Felling I’m Falling” (taken from the seminal recording Satch Plays Fats).

Live cuts from the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival and a concert in Milan and a previosuly unreleased version of “Ko Ko Mo” make this set all the sweeter. From the dixieland sources to the original interpretations, Love Songs draws from Columbia’s vast Armstrong archives and wraps up a brilliant career in a tidy package with love.

©2003, M. S. Robinson, ARR

There are also four Mlely originals, most notable of which is Rio – all motion and interplay with a moment here and there for some jouncy rhythm. I also liked the Spirit Inside; a well developed song that delivers a sense of pride and majesty, showing Mlely’s ability not only to play with both hands, but to write for them as well. Mlely plays and writes with a style that is uniquely his and very recognizable, much like another solo-piano pioneer, George Winston. Very enjoyable.

The Latin touch works well on John Mellencamp’s “Not Running Anymore”, with Mark Olsen triumphant on trumpet. This is good, but “Janet” is better: a love spoken by distant piano, John’s fragile voice, and acres of bells. When the keys turn aggressive, everything shakes: a storm of percussion, raining on a fast merry-go-round. Thanks to arranger Bob Long, and composer Alejo Poveda. You will certainly want to meet “Janet”.

I love Chi Town for its challenging rhythms and Colaiuta’s drum fills and lessons. Hidden Treasure brings to mind fusion group Brand X, and although he does very little, the organ sound adds a nice touch. With a funky beat and a mean bass solo, plus varying tempo changes, Mahavishnu’s The Dance of Maya from 1973 is resurrected on Time is a Magazine. Don’t get lost in the rhythm or Ford’s solo when listening to the tricky Mezzanine Blues. Thanks to Ford’s use of wah wah and Calaiuta feeling Cobham-ish, true 70’s jazz-rock comes to life on Tangled Up.

The multi-dimensional set offers an array of rhythmic, harmonic and melodic experiences including three compelling and soulful lead vocal cuts. On “Magic World,” Oliver’s vocalese conveys the melody while his fingers do the talking up and down the neck of his classic acoustic guitar. He switches to the electric guitar on “In the Shade of the Cool,” and offers a bluesy edge to this upbeat song. With his contemporary jazz radio hit “Chips and Salsa,” we get the full-on Latin flavor and the infectious spice of Steve’s positive groove.

Of the many approaches Steve Oliver uses to excite his fans, his focus on playing out of position to use chord shapes as a visual and kinesthetic anchor, chord progressions to add color and texture, and playing up the neck and at the bottom of the neck are by far some of his most rewarding. The beautiful musical ideas heard on “Imagine,” will charm and delight you. By using more than one octave, and varying the chord progressions, he really adds to his melodic guitar solo. Oliver closes with “See You Soon,” a beautiful ballad that truly spotlights his soulful vocals and genuine love of what he feels and enjoys doing.

Reprinted with permission of…

Labelmates Les Nubians are part of the Mênagea Trois that starts things off. Norman Brown jumps in with his guitar and vocals on the hot title track 360 Groove. The Boz Scaggs hit Lowdown is a familiar bit in the mix, and I had to listen twice to notice where Coolio actually sang on the song (he’s in the background). Cruisin’, features Raphael Saadiq contributing some down-home guitar and shows some of Sommers’ Chicago-Blues roots. Eric Benet does a very smooth vocalese thing on the sax-y ballad Stay a While.

Imagine going to a cookout and seeing teens through 40’s in perfect harmony, playing dominos, eating BBQ ribs, chicken, potato salad, and groovin’ to some serious mature tunes(R&B,70’s soul, blues, funk, smooth & rough jazz). Not one single teen or 20 something complained about the music, because there was enough for everyone. Which brings me back to Brecker’s 34 N Lex.

16 musicians play throughout the 11 tracks, including brother Michael(ts)Ronnie Cuber(bsax), David Sanborn(ts), and former Horny Horns-JB’s great, Fred Wesley(tb).Smokin’ funky stuff, finger popin’ and some more. Randy has made his mark in the mentioned musical categories for about 30 years, from James Brown-George Clinton to Billy Cobham-Herbie Hancock, and continues to convey these influences with these chosen tracks.

All of these tunes are sound with strong musicianship in all aspects: Cuber’s funky solo on the title tune (Homer Simpson’s daughter Lisa would be proud), Adam Rogers'(g) nice work on the Les McCann “Compared to What” like “Shanghigh”, Tower Of Power feeling “Let It Go,” the two classic style Jazz pieces, “Forgone Conclusion” and my favorite, the Bop-styled “Tokyo Freddie” ( Randy kickin’ much butt, and Chris Minh Doky really layin’ the foundation down), and my second favorite, which is waaay to damn funky for smooth jazz stations, “Give it up,” with Gary Haase(b) funkin’ up the joint and Wesley adding his grease.

There’s a bop tempo to “You and the Night and the Music”, with Charlap dreaming the chords. Now the mute sounds like Dizzy, and now the exchanges are fevered. (Hear Bill take a big breath at the start of his solo – like he’s steeling himself for the battle ahead!) Warren wields a flugelhorn for “What’ll I Do”, and gives each note a yearning glow. Bill’s part is more involved, but just as sincere; this could be a lullaby. The horn then goes breathy on “Easy Living”, beside some barroom stride … and then the pianist gets elegant, honoring Chopin with the Charlap composition “Nip-Hoc Waltz”. This tune is romantic, lushly performed, and drenched in echo. Warren doesn’t play here, and doesn’t need to. This is where Bill Charlap blows his own horn.

Rather than releasing another ‘best of’ Heads Up has delivered a CD/DVD combo that addresses some of the Yellowjackets history but focuses on providing a rich listener/viewer experience. This release follows the ubiquitous group during their 2005 European tour. The CD features new arrangements of classic tunes like Jacketown, Free Day and My Old School. The DVD contains a complete concert in 5.1 surround sound, 3.5 hours of footage and more; and the concert is NOT all the same material as the CD, adding tunes line Matinee Idol and Imperial Strut to the mix.

The extramaterial on the DVD is wonderful! The series of DVD performances portrays the groups from now back to then, getting younger and more raw with each performance. To hear the new Yellowjackets playing some of the old stuff is simply wonderful.

The arranger, Chris Young, mixes a variety of moods, introducing the whole band along the way: soloists, sections, and of course Chad Rager’s driving drums. Everybody gets a chance to shine: a sweet trombone solo, nice horn section work, especially the differing textures that are used to support each of the soloists, each texture matched to the provide each soloist with a background that is best suits that instruments characteristics. This allows each soloist an opportunity to showcase that instrument, as well as allowing each soloist a solid platform upon which to provide an improvisational gem. Mike Kamuf’s trumpet solo is a fine example of this marriage of soloist floating on custom-designed cushion of harmonies and rhythms. The horn section often uses lines that are richer and more jazzy versions of Tower of Power horns.

“Pyramid of Pachyderms” is a hard swinging number that sometimes moves away from the big band sound and drops-down to almost a combo feel. Fans of big band and barry sax will love this cut! Even when the full band resurfaces, the overall feel remains intimate, but solid—not skimping on fullness in the sound

This is a lighter version of “Straight No Chaser”. It’s almost un-Monkish. This time the horn sections are sparsely used, once more, giving a small combo sound/feel. Brooke Hopkins’s arrangement accomplishes this by carefully alternating between melodic sections and harmonic sections of the piece, using the full band on the harmonic sections, and using only the essential elements of the band during the melodic sections. A nice touch.

On the CD, several cuts begin with a drum solo, of varying lengths. This cut, “St Bernard”, begins with a full-blown solo that demonstrates Chad Ranger’s solid skills and ability to weave an interesting percussive display. He drives, he floats, and like preacher, he delivers his “sermon” and then sets the stage for the choir to “take you home”. The arrangement has an ultra-modern, hip, sophisticated moodiness that is established by the drums in the introduction. Somehow, Chad Ranger manages to maintain an intense tempo intense, without heavy-handed drumming.

“Zamba Samba” evokes the appropriate tropical mood. Complex and varied horn section lines are juxtaposed against the piano, almost like a pas de deux. And once again, good section work renders both a big band feel and a combo feel. The composition is has an interesting harmonic structure that works well within the context of a traditional samba song form. Compared to the preceding cuts, “Chicklets” is an unusual arrangement. At first, it’s difficult to tell when the intro ends and the song begins. This piece isn’t your usual song-form; it’s more like a series of vignettes. However, once the band settles into what turns out to be a rather serious groove, the piece moves sinuously and smoothly like a fish gliding through water. Then, the song ends as it began. Only now, what at first seemed ethereal and elusive, has now been clearly identified and solidly nailed-down.

The big band feel is recaptured on “Smile”. It’s a traditional arrangement for a standard song, but this arrangement has a bit more zip and zest than one might normally associate with this song. In fact, this version of “Smile” is downright giddy. If you like dancing to swing, this cut will get you out of your chair, grabbing your baby, and trying not to bump into the furniture too much because you’re going to try to use the whole room on this one. Makes you wanna get expansive, emotive and extravagant. If you’re by yourself, you’ll probably do a rather energetic soft-shoe. “The Heat’s On”: I recognized this song without actually recognizing it, if you know what I mean. What I mean is, Rager and friends have reintroduced me to an old friend, only all spruced-up. Familiar, but new. Loved for its familiarity but appreciated in its new incarnation. It ‘s always nice to be shown something—something that you thought you knew—with a fresh and perspective that makes you fall in love all over again.

“Whipping Post” is a nice cut to end on. It showcases everyone, both individually and the sections, but the ethereal beauty blooms when Rager doe s his solo. A truly impressive performance. Some excellent snare work! Rager’s solo is a well-formed structure that gives him the freedom to explore his creative percussive heat, raw flames and sullen molten lava. And this song even has a surprise ending. I didn’t think it was gonna go there! Glad it did, though. A fitting climax! Chad Rager has the ability to be present without being pushy. He’s there when you need to hear him, but he knows how to set-up and support his mates without getting in their way. He never detracts or distracts. He’s almost invisible at times, but you know that if he wasn’t there, there’d be one huge hole. This man fills the hole, just right. Like a good meal, satisfying, especially if you don’t overeat. Rager’s like that, just enough drums to satisfy, without filling you up.

Two other new straight ahead Christmas album this year include an incredible compilation of old favorites and a new re-imagining of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker Suite.” A group calling itself the Classical Jazz Quartet, featuring arrangements by Bob Belden, performs the Tchaikovsky’s work with the care and technique of the group they’re patterned after, the Modern Jazz Quartet They consists of Stefon Harris on vibes, veterans Ron Cater and Kenny Barron on bass and piano respectively, and Lewis Nash on drums.

“The Very Best of Christmas Jazz,” is a knock-out new 14 song compilation featuring John Coltrane, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Williams, Count Basie and others. What makes the collection priceless is the inclusion of Louis Armstrong’s very funny “Zat You, Santa Claus?” It’s also noteworthy because a couple of gems are mined from the historic Chicago Chess Records vaults, including early recordings by Ramsey Lewis and Kenny Burrell.

The two best Latin jazz Christmas albums also includes a group recording and a compilation of a variety of artists. “Playboy’s Latin Jazz Christmas,” has contemporary recordings from Shelia E, Poncho Sanchez, Arturo Sandoval, and other Latin jazz stars, A more traditional Latin jazz Christmas is celebrated on the brilliant “Noel Caliente,” by the group Saudade.

Smooth jazz lovers really reaped a bounty of holiday musical cheer with new releases. In addition to Koz and Friends, saxophonist Kirk Whalum and vocalist Melba Moore each have new Christmas music out. Then there are three varied compilations that can play well at any festive seasonal gathering.

“Groovin’ Jazz Christmas” features Jeff Lorber, Doc Powell, Michael Lington and others. “Making Spirits Bright,” is a new collection, partially produced by guitarist Lee Ritenour and featuring his friends Will Downing, Gerald Albright, Marc Antoine, Al Jarreau, Joyce Cooling, David Benoit and many others.

Benoit is also on “Jazzy Christmas,” a disc that straddles the line between straight-ahead and smooth jazz. There are five different groups, each playing two tunes, including a trio co-led by Patrice Rushen and Stanley Clarke, and one featuring former Weather Report bassist Alphonso Johnson.

Opening to thick applause, “Dirge” pairs a drunk bass clarinet with a lazy tuba, walking in sad slithers. This sounds traditional and modern at once – shades of Albert Ayler. Throaty at first, the reed becomes bolder, fiercer; a hum starts in the brass section, and percussion creeps in like radio static. With encouragement from the crowd, the whole band enters … like a New Orleans parade gone mad. Suddenly they’re all twittering, and we start the second movement, “Clad Like Birds”.

A tenor hits long, wavering notes; these are answered by Kaiser, blowing in a soft transparent tone. This is more of a dirge than the first number, and the horns scream a finale, stark and powerful. From here we move to gentler things: “Amplifying Their Moods” is a study for organ (Wayne Peet), steel drums (Brad Dutz), and an earthy, Rahsaan-like flute. The musicians react in astonishing fashion: a phrase by Jeff is continued on oboe, concluded by soprano sax … or it could be the same instrument played two different ways! At the end are crackling woodwinds, a loud series of oom-pahs (!) and Peet’s organ, which starts in a churchyard and ends in a haunted house. This music can change instantaneously – a good match for the genre and those who play in it.

You won’t find this instrumentation any place else: the group includes two basses, two guitars, three percussionists, one trombone (on a valve model, yet) and some very talented reeds. The most famous among them are Peet and West Coast icon Vinny Golia (Kaiser plays in the Golia Large Ensemble, another avant-garde big band.) “Even with Diagrams” finds the brass on parade, a slow walk leading into shrill clusters. Unrelated to jazz, this piece feels like the classical music written in the ‘Sixties. The solemn texture is upset by a cantankerous baritone sax (probably Golia); after this, all goes wild. Jeff’s fluttering solo is nice, along with the drums behind him.

“One Absolute Material” is a feature for the drummers; Peet helps out with some flying-saucer noises. There is a loud whisper on “Figure of This In-Between” – muted horns, covered by a windy synthesizer. From there you get frantic saxwork, a chorus of chirping reeds, and, on “Figure with Wings”, a pair of giddy flutes, chasing each other in glee. An ominous tuba (Mark Weaver) glowers in the background, drums surge and then fade – the flutes stay the same, but their mood is altered by the things around them. Flamboyant horns close the suite with a blare that rivals “Ascension”. It’s uneven, and unfocused at times, but also shows talent, strength, and ingenuity – as I said, a fascinating concept.

The second suite, more formal in structure, reminds me of the composer Toru Takemitsu in its use of open space. Following a pompous fanfare, “Coincidentia Oppositorium” is a workout for Ernesto Diaz-Infante, twanging the strings in a rusty jangle. The fanfare sounds again, and we’re now in a jungle of flutes and bells. This gives way to brass, wailing a lament on “Where His Third Eye Could Be”. The basses take their only solo (one bowed, one plucked) over steel drums and electronic squiggles. The highlight here is the baritone, slithering like a gator through the swamp. A heady stomp comes next, then a meditation for soprano, followed by exotica on “There Is No Profit from Dreams”. Woody phrases emanate from the alto flute, while muted horns buzz like mosquitoes. This piece is the softest, the most accessible … the best in the collection. (Check out the weird noises at the end; sounds like a melting guitar!)

combining the gruff growl and golden blare of louis armstrong with the humorous arrangement talents of louis jordan, ruffins lets loose with a brass-covered smile on the jordan favorite “t-i-l-l-i-e” and sammy cahn and julie styne’s “i still get jealous.” originals like “drop me off in new orleans” and “meet me at the second line” combine traditional french quarter fare with contemporary catches (“drop me off” refers to red beans and greens but also includes the term “home boy” and its familiar derivative “homey”).

ruffins’ band is also a gumbo of old and new which includes trombonist corey henry and clarinestist dr. michael white along with harry connick jr’s rhythmic drummer arthur latin and bassist neal caine. so, to quote kermit, “when you’re feeling down and out and you feel there’s no way out / get dropped off in new orleans.” and if you can’t visit kermit at 1533 st. philip, this album should do the trick.

The applause is loud, and all is stilled when the music starts. He crawls into the “Second Balcony”, chording with a touch of fuzz. The solo is clean and slow; wait for Larry Gales to walk high, going over Burrell! It’s an understated jump — the highlight is delicate cymbalwork. The fuzz is gone on “Willow”: it’s a fluid bounce, and the brushes are gorgeous. He turns his volume down, and you’ll want to turn yours up — if you were at the club, you’d lean forward. The second chorus is full of chords, a simple technique but very effective. He limbers up for a solo “Work Song”: loud slashes give way to fretboard scampers. The theme comes in steps, but you know right away — Kenny works hard!

“Woody ‘n You” takes it fast, with deep fuzz and busy fingers. Maybe too busy; at times it sounds cluttered. (Ferguson’s solo is nice, as is Kenny’s return.) “Still of the Night” has a wonderful intro: thick strum from Gales, subtle toms, and chords like a whisper — or a kiss. The guitar picks it up, smooth lines, sweet flourishes on top; a lovely night, and far from still. The Ellington medley starts solo (tape hiss is a major distraction) and gets happy for “Love You Madly” — strong octaves and shimmering cymbals. And “It’s Getting Dark” (a ’62 track from BLUESY BURRELL) leaves us in a mellow mood, peaked by a marvelous bass. Applaud with the crowd, and don’t leave your seat yet.

The balance of the set was later issued as KENNY BURRELL IN NEW YORK. The notes say “If you enjoyed the first part … you need to prolong the thrill — it gets better!” Very true; most of the mellow tunes are here, and this is where Kenny excels. But not yet: first up a fast samba, with twittering notes. This becomes a two-finger pattern, and then “Pent-Up House”, chords ending the phrase. A little distortion is used with taste; fans of his “clean” sound will not be turned off. Ferguson’s solo is POTENT; very tuneful, and his best of the lot. “But Beautiful” defines that word: everyone’s there but you only hear Kenny. The style of his ‘Fifties ballads, with the tone as well; you can’t do better. The crowd agrees.

The title says “Makin’ Whoopee” but it’s all manner of things. The theme dispatched quickly, we get seven slow minutes of “Billie’s Bounce”, warm chords, and a big ol’ bass. The ending is truly special. “Come Rain or Come Shine” meditates quietly, so light he seems to play an acoustic. Again the theme is mostly hinted; again his tenderness makes that irrelevant. You’re hearing the sound, not the song, and that is enough. And fall under the “Magic Spell”: and opening like “Still of the Night”, and a mood that embraces. Hear how he speaks Latin — that solo could fit on “Besame Mucho”. And don’t forget Ferguson; the cymbals roll in like the fog. The last thing you hear is a mournful bow, and fans having their say. My say is: get this. You’ll like it if you like Burrell.

Rating: *** 3/4. You might want to play Disc Two first; most of the top ballads are there. A minor quibble — some people prefer Kenny without distortion; I’m one of those. Here he uses it well, and many tracks leave off the fuzz entirely. Try “Work Song”, “Still of the Night”, Pent-Up House”, “But Beautiful”, “Makin’ Whoopee”, and “Magic Spell”. Man, he’s damn good.

Songs: Second Balcony Jump; Willow Weep for Me; Work Song; Woody ‘n You?; Introduction of Kenny Burrell by Max Gordon; In the Still of the Night; Medley: Don’t You Know I Care?/Love You Madly; It’s Getting Dark; Pent-Up House; But Beautiful; Bags’ Groove; Makin’ Whoopee; Come Rain or Come Shine; Love, Your Magic Spell is Everywhere.

Musicians: Kenny Burrell (guitar); Larry Gales (bass); Sherman Ferguson (drums).

Take a collection of the best Latin love songs of the last 10 decades, add the talents of one of the jazz world’s most respected reed players, a Grammy Award winning producer and a lot of strings and you come up with one very outstanding result. Paquito D’Rivera’s new release “100 Years of Latin Love Songs” uses this blend to lend a fresh perspective to 100 years of sensual ballads and romantic dance tunes from nine different Hispanic countries by such notable artists as Antonio Carlos Jobim, Alejandro Sanz and actor/singer Ruben Blades.  

Recorded under the guidance of producer/arranger Bob Belden, this work revisits such globally popular tunes as “Ay Ay Ay” and “Acercate Mas” (first introduced to U.S. music fans via Nat King Cole’s rendition titled “Come Closer To Me”). Historical background on each of the disc’s ten songs, plus a brief “tour” of Latin America via maps and fascinating facts about each nation represented (including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela) are also included on the enhanced portion of the new CD.

As its full title suggests, Paquito D’Rivera with Strings — 100 Years of Latin Love Songs was recorded with a full string orchestra and features D’Rivera taking turns on clarinet, alto and soprano saxophone. Other musicians lending their talents to the sessions include pianist Dario Eskenazi, bassist Oscar Stagnaro, guitarist Fareed Haque, drummer Mark Walker and percussionist Luis Conte. The diverse instrumentation also includes Aquiles Baez on the cuatro (a Venezuelan guitar) and Roberto Perera on Paraguayan harp.

An icon in the world of Latin jazz, Paquito D’Rivera has recorded more than two dozen albums, including the 1997 Grammy Award-winning “Portraits of Cuba.” Born in Havana, he was one of the most prominent musicians to defect from his homeland following Castro’s rise to power. In recent years, in addition to his work with the Caribbean Jazz Project (with Dave Samuels and Andy Narell), D’Rivera has helmed his own Havana-New York Quintet and Dizzy Gillespie’s famed United Nation Orchestra.

. For more information visit the Heads Up Records Website