Reviews
Surinder Sandhu - “The Fictionist” (Saurango Music 101; 2008)
Sometimes even hyperbole is insufficient to describe certain experiences in life. Surinder Sandhu’s third album, “The Fictionist”, falls into that category: impossible to define, difficult to even fully encompass. Maybe this is a good thing since the listener is forced to come to terms with the music with no safety net. This is a very special album.
Surinder Sandhu is a composer, a bandleader and one of the few masters of the rarely heard Indian instrument, the sarangi. For this third album Sandhu goes back into the recording studio with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic and then takes the sumptuous result and proceeds to layer, twist, bash, graft, glue, bolt-on, surgically insert and at times even stab other musical elements from widely disparate genres into the work.
The result is quite extraordinary. It’s like having audio-widescreen in your head. Surinder’s approach to his music is simply epic. Epic in concept, in vision, in scope, in its inclusivity, in its execution.
Even more extraordinary is that Surinder does not put himself centre stage at all in the music; this is not a CD of virtuoso sarangi exhibitionism with polite accompaniment. The musicians who seem to flock to work with him are all masters in their own right; Surinder works by allowing others to breathe. It’s almost as if he sits somewhere just in the background of the sonic landscape, like a still point, the point of perspective in a picture; in the foreground is a wealth of brilliant musicians taking centre stage, getting all the best lines, acting out the stories, being seen, performing their hearts out. But always, somewhere, there’s Surinder, sitting cross-legged with his beautiful sarangi cradled in his lap, viewing his creation, action through inaction, movement through stillness. His musical vision just blows me away.
The music ranges from quiet, meditative pieces, through emotional paeans, to raging passions, seemingly running through Classical Asian, Classical African, and Classical Western traditions to Rock and Jazz. It’s quite indefinable. Besides the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra and Surinder’s own tight band (Miles Levin, Chris ‘Beebe’ Aldridge, Dave Clarke, Pete Brown) there are contributions from the likes of trombonist Dennis Rollins, trumpeter Bryan Corbett, kora maestro Tunde Jegede, the choirs Black Voices and Sense of Sound, guitarist Dave Lowe, pianist Levi French and tabla player Kousic Sen to name but a few out of so many . . . plus the inclusion of bamboo flutes, sarode, accordion, djembe, flugelhorn . . . Such was the absorption of the players that many parts were recorded in just one take.
Musicians willingly put themselves out to come and play with Sandhu; it’s the taking part, the adding of the different voices, the coming together, the contributing, the making of music. Always the music.
I’m stumped at what to say now. Maybe you’ll love it, maybe you’ll dislike it. It’s very difficult to predict. It’s the kind of music that demands personal involvement. There’s no take it or leave it here. But this doesn’t seem to phase Sandhu:
“I’d rather you didn’t like it, than be indifferent. If you dislike it then, fair enough; but one day you might return to try again and that time it might be different”.
Like a good book, this is an album to come back to again and again. This is one to treasure for a long time to come . . .
The Tracks:
It’s a slightly strange construction - ten tracks in all, but tracks 4-7 are all part of a symphony in four movements sandwiched between three opening tracks and three closing ones. However Sandhu states in the liner notes that he envisaged the album as “one long tune”. The following notes are only my impressions of the album - you will surely have your own interpretations. When reviewing books or films there often comes a point where the text is emboldened and underlined with the words “PLOT SPOILER - DON’T READ ON IF YOU DON’T WANT TO KNOW THE ENDING!”. If you don’t want my thoughts to influence yours then stop now. Otherwise, these are my impressions . . .
“Avi’s Theme” - If anyone is in any doubt as to the genre-defying scale of this work then the opening track should blow you away in the first few seconds. It opens with a sound and scope the size of a widescreen cinema, as an orchestral tsunami seems to rise out of nowhere and surges over you with a power and an imperiousness that you just don’t expect. There’s hardly time to take this in when the sarangi enters pulling your heart’s-strings sideways, underpinned by an insistent bass line and immediately followed by layer upon layer of thundering drumkit and tablas, guitars, full orchestra, screaming sax and the piece just jets off sideways. You can only hang onto this dragon’s tail as it flies over the globe gathering up western classical and classical Indian, jazz, flamenco, folk accordion, even echoes of Led Zeppelin in it’s jaws and spews out musical fire. The tension tightens, angst builds up and a welter of emotions pours out from the musicians before it all ends almost chaotically and, funnily enough, very humanly with cheers, laughter and an announcement of “Food will be two minutes!” This is a musical calling-card on a huge scale. It shouldn’t work - but it does!
“Inside the Circle” - is the most jazz-inspired piece on the album and features sax, trombone and trumpet and sarangi - sometimes moving as one, other times playing against each other - against Miles Levin’s restless drumkit and Kousic Sen’s tablas. Uncompromising at times, it provides a great foil for the next track.
“Until Then” - Is an intoxicating love song sung by Loz Raybone in English and Arijit Datta in Hindi with backing vocals from Black Voices. A crystal bowl of clear water to clear the head and soothe the soul, with a beautiful contribution from Bryan Corbett on flugelhorn.
We then go into Sandhu’s Symphony No 1 (“Movement 1: We are here…”) - again fusing standard orchestral instrumentation and traditions with the vast repository of ideas and sounds in Surinder’s head. It acts almost as a prologue to the emotional heartland of the whole album, the early morning mountain range that is Movement 2.
“Movement 2: Stillness and Creation” - is as if Aaron Copeland had composed for the Himalayas rather than the Appalachians; there are also hints (to my mind at least) of Keith Emerson’s First Symphony. It is an exquisite piece: the bamboo flutes aching, haunting, eerily beautiful; the kora and guitars rippling and falling over each other; even the dusk and darkness at the end is soft and welcoming.
“Movement 3: With New Eyes” - is an awakening of spirits, with Surinder’s gorgeous sarangi, Nirmalaya Dey’s bansuri (bamboo flutes) and Dennis Rollins’s trombone featuring throughout with some great solos. If this wasn’t enough add bass, djembe, tabla, trumpet, piano, guitar, kora, drumkit, orchestra and vocals from Angela Willis and Black Voices (“In search of higher ground” ) all gambolling with vitality and sheer joy and you begin to see life with new eyes. Truly uplifting and celebratory.
“Movement 4: No Ordinary Moments” - is a darker, more insistent piece pitting rock drums, bass guitar and electric guitar against the full orchestra. Backing vocals are by Sense of Sound. The piece builds in intensity until the sax ends the symphony on a confident, almost triumphant, note.
“Prelude to You” - is an intimate number of subtle tenderness that features the four voices of kora, piano, flute and sarangi. Delicate and endearing it points to the final track.
“The River (Life has Now Changed)” - was conceived on the banks of the Ganges and is one of the profoundest and most contemplative pieces on the album, drawing deep from the emotional well to allow the orchestra and Surinder’s sarangi to climb the heights of comprehension and come to terms with the inevitable. My god, but the sarangi was made to be pitted against the might of an orchestra! Ranged against this are the sad but beautiful ripostes of French’s piano, Lowe’s acoustic guitar and the RLPO’s flautist. Penetrating. Deep.
“To You (A Mother’s Love)” - Like the journey of life this final piece starts tenderly, almost tentative, but slowly grows in confidence. We stand on our own two feet and play our own themes in homage to those who always had faith in us. A mother’s love is almost universally constant and we rarely express our thanks adequately and sometimes not until it’s too late. This track goes a little way to addressing that. Sublime.
Finally, there’s an unnamed musical epilogue (loosely connected to “Until Then”) contained at the end of the last track - just piano and sarangi - the hundred-coloured ‘human’ voice of the Indian musical world. Wistful, delicate, elegant.
If you feel at times that rock, jazz and classical musics have little place in ‘world music’, then I beg you: resist the temptation. Open your mind and listen to the album.
Just flow with the river on this one. Let it wash over you. It works. It really does.
Surinder Sandhu’s “The Fictionist” is an absolute jewel - one to treasure in your collection.
Glyn Phillips - WorldMusic.co.uk
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Alex Wilson Salsa Con Soul Orchestra - Birmingham Town Hall - Sat 8th Nov 08
On top of the hill at the centre of Birmingham a neo-roman landmark based upon the Temple of Castor and Pollux has stood for 174 years overlooking the city. Birmingham Town Hall has recently and painstakingly been renovated to the tune of £35m to restore it to its past glories, including laying a beautiful wooden dance floor big enough to take hundreds of dancers. It has historically been accustomed to receiving political movers-and-shakers from Gladstone to Thatcher but last night it was the setting for an absolute masterclass in melding Latin rhythms with British soul by the band at the forefront of the British salsa movement, the Alex Wilson Salsa Orchestra, who played to a sold-out venue full of salseros intent on dancing till they had nothing left to give.
In a one hour 40 minute set that featured Alex’s unique brand of salsa dura, r’n’b, soul and gospel they delivered an exuberant, energy-charged performance that would set the venerable building’s foundations throbbing to a rock-solid tumbao, and the band’s singers raising the roof from its famous romanesque columns.
Alex Wilson comes across backstage as vibrant, warm and very engaging. Onstage he is a true bandleader, never hogging the limelight but giving his musicians air to breathe and allowing their individual skills to shine out as they interpret the rich arrangements of the tunes. In fact it reminded me of New York piano giant and bandleader Eddie Palmieri, never dominating but always an ineffable presence. Resplendent in his trademark cream tux, Alex led from the side - standing up to lean over the keyboards and exhort his orchestra to new heights, beaming with pleasure as they responded and often signalling off-the-cuff arrangements in the middle of a number if a particular singer or soloist was on a roll - and roll they did, squeezing every bit of emotion out of each song, driven by the powerful musical machine behind them and egged on by a packed dancefloor of salsa dancers.
Alex Wilson
The concert was one of just four in the UK to launch his latest album “Salsa Con Soul” (for a full, in-depth, track-by-track review search under www.worldmusic.co.uk). London and Leeds had already hosted Alex and the band, but for Birmingham’s night salseros poured in from all over the Midlands, the Marches and the North to what was billed as a Salsa Ball. At first I was apprehensive at the promoter’s desire to make it a black tie event - stiff shirts, dickie-bows and salsa have never made easy bed fellows in my books - but gradually the men overcame their natural inhibitions when stuffed into penguin suits (in no small part due to letting go to the music and the dance) and as for the ladies . . . Well, what can I say? A ball is a bit like a wedding - who cares what the groom looks like as long as the bride looks stush and feels a million! And so they did. Gorgeous.
The band was made up of Alex on keyboards, Simon Edwards on bass, Colombian Emeris Solis on congas, Dave Pattman (one of the UKs most prolific and respected session men) on bongo and campana, Italian Davide Giovannini on timbales (and a great singer to boot), and a horn section made up of Steve Dawson and Annette Brown on trumpets and Trevor Mires and Paul Taylor on trombones. There was also a special guest appearance from guitarist Robin Bannerjee Jazz Jamaica and Amy Winehouse). Lead and backing vocals were equally shared out between the three singers: Aquilla Fearon, Elpidio Caicedo and Naomi Phillips.
The irrepressible Elpidio (from Buenaventura, Colombia) handled his vocals on songs like “Sabrosón” and “Mi Buenaventura” with equal amounts of verve and panache, but still letting his cheeky personality bubble through.
Elpidio Caicedo - de Buenaventura y con mucho sabor!
Aquilla and Naomi both delivered outstanding performances in English and Spanish throughout the night, blending sass and grace, and sex and soul, as their magnificent voices soared over the heads of the dancers below, breathing new life into salsa versions of “Nature Boy” (Nat King Cole, Grover Washington Jr etc), Chaka Khan’s “Ain’t Nobody” and Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together”. As for my favourites of the night, (the salsa-gospel tunes from the new album): “Rhythm & Life”, “Stronger” and “This Time”, Aquilla and Naomi brought authenticity and insight, passion and intimacy. I could watch them all night…
Naomi Phillips bringing Soul to the Salseros
Aquilla Fearon and Naomi Phillips might be ‘local girls’ geographically (Dudley and Nottingham respectively) but be in no doubt: these two are world-class singers!
Aquilla Fearon belting it out!
The onstage chemistry between all three singers was palpable and infectious and was the catalyst for the incredible ‘feelgood’ factor that rippled out from the stage and through the Town Hall. This was a front-line that were clearly loving every second they were up there, bouncing off each other and rocking the crowd from on high!
Their presence was such that at times you forgot just how talented the rest of the band were - not least Alex Wilson who delivered some absolutely blistering solos and some heavyweight piano vamps (especially during “Antonio” and “A Guarachar Con Alex”). If he plays like that for salsa - how on earth does he raise the bar for himself in latin jazz?
There were many great solos from individual musicians during the night, but I must mention Davide Giovannini’s electrifying timbales and Steve Dawson’s searing trumpet as very much hitting the spot as well as special guest Robin Bannerjee on guitar for two numbers. The overall sound in the Town Hall was well balanced, but my only criticism is that conguero Emeris Solis could have done with a little more presence in the mix, which sadly meant his talents weren’t appreciated as much as they should have been down on the floor.
So what else can I say? If you get the chance to see the Alex Wilson Salsa Orchestra - GO AND SEE THEM! They are absolutely at the forefront of the European salsa scene and deserve to go globally massive. As I’ve said before, the rest of the world can start queuing now . . .
Alex Wilson and the Salsa Con Soul Orchestra
They have one gig left of this launch tour - 21st November at the Jazz Café in London.
Check www.alexwilson.net for more details.
If you can’t see them live, then at the very least BUY THE NEW ALBUM: “Salsa Con Soul” (available on Amazon) and take a little bit of last night’s magic home with you.
Switch off the telly, take off the phone, apologise to the neighbours and turn the volume up as loud as you can get away with…
Glyn Phillips - WorldMusic.co.uk
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Review of “Sementes” - Adriano Adewale Group
(Segue Records SEGCD0801; 2008)
Adriano Adewale might have been born into one of the world’s biggest urban sprawls (Sao Paulo) but his music is deeply rooted in a rural Africa and its offshoots around the world. The name of this debut album “Sementes” (meaning ‘seeds’ in Portuguese) is both apt and evocative. For me, the overwhelming feeling is a sense of organicness (the album feels like it has been nurtured rather than composed) and also a very natural acoustic quality to the recording. You can feel the hands of the musicians, not the producer or the technology. Nothing feels forced or out of place. It really is a beautiful, sumptuous, sound. The album’s artwork by Claire Curtis really sets the scene too using woodcuts and subtle natural painting.
When Adriano selects his instruments for each track it’s with the surety of knowing the exact sound required. In our minds the interplay of wood, skin and seeds paints rippling landscapes of sound; I hear (or is it see?) stands of dry grass, bubbling rills, clattering rushes, dusty plains broken by smooth hills, distant forests washing up against purple-tinged mountains, diamond -crusted indigo skies, thick water-storing trees, cattle, villages, birds, rocks, paths that disappear into hollows, bleached bones, vibrant green shoots in red soil, men, women and children, generations of peoples, endless stories rooted in the earth.
Add the unmistakeable springs of musical water that burst forth from Kadialy Kouyate’s kora, Marcelo Andrade’s sometimes playful, sometimes mournful flute and saxes and Nathan Thomson’s fluid double bass and all these stories come to life. This is music that each can listen to and take something personal away from: each person their own landscapes, their own stories.
This is just my overriding experience of this album. However, there are other voices here too. Virtuoso guitarist Antonio Forcione adds his talent to one track and the album’s producer, Gilad Atzmon adds his accordion and clarinet to various tracks also.
Adriano says that the album is a reflection of his surroundings, his experience of living in London, his childhood in Brazil, his friends. However, it also addresses his wider environmental concerns, issues of faith and also African-Brazilian and European identity. It is well known that after spending time in Africa he rid himself of his previous surname - Pinto - and decided to choose for himself something that better reflected who he was, who he wanted to be and so the two new surnames: Adewale (from the Yoruba culture of West Africa) and Ituana (from the indigenous language and cultures of Tupi-Guarani in central South America).
Without interviewing him personally, I can’t tell how he approached each individual track, what the tunes mean to him personally, what his story is, but I can try and give my impressions; ultimately you must come up with your own.
The album starts off with the sprightly Sempre, featuring Adewale’s smile-inducing vocals (I’ve no idea what he’s saying, but it sounds uplifting!). Throughout the track (and the whole album) his drumming never dominates the whole sound of the band, even when he’s crashing around a whole variety of percussion instruments. It’s always the band and the album that come first, never “Look at me: I’m a Drummer”. Sign of a good bandleader in my book.
Next is the serene, timeless Domingo featuring Kadialy Kouyate’s stately kora playing and, later, Marcelo Andrade’s flute (loving the subtle accordion and clarinet lines from Gilad Atzmon also) over an understated percussive figure and repeated bassline. Quite hypnotic.
Comboio has a more obvious Brazilian start with its bouncing surdo 2/4 beat, busy tarol (a rattly Brazilian snare drum) and martial reeds but then descends into something darker, Atzmon’s clarinet being particularly unsettling; maybe that’s city-life, I don’t know, but it ain’t for me!
Family Album starts with the sound of Adewale calling out, as if to family, friends - nobody seems to answer. Has everyone gone away? Slowly kalimba, kora and flute start to speak into the space as other voices, whispers, ghosts maybe, appear from the thin air. Listen, make up your own story . . .
Assim is another of those musical soundscapes that makes you want to lay back in the shimmering heat, close your eyes and drift off down the river created by the crystalline kora and thick, pulsating double bass, whilst Adriano’s udu (clay drum) nudges at you like a huge fish and the zephyrs of Gilad’s clarinet spin you in circles, round and round, down the river, toward the horizon . . .
Passa Por Mim cracks along, driven by the peculiarly dry quality of the pandeiro (Brazilian tambourine played on the skin) over a jaunty flute melody.
Telefone, in my ears, is a midnight jazz-tango - if not in rhythm, then in emotional tone; with Andrade’s soprano sax rising up into the air like a voice lifted in both love and lament - gorgeous! Beautifully underpinned by the rest of the band and with extra accompaniment from Atzmon’s lush, romantic accordion, as close as the warm, dark, pressing night.
Encanto - has one of the catchiest melodies on the album, alto sax and clarinet uniting as one over Thomson’s throbbing bass-line and Kouyate’s kora. Adriano’s ‘old boss’, Antonio Forcione, contributes some wonderful guitar solos on this track which makes you wonder what they’d come up with if the guitar and kora were allowed to spar directly against each other.
Sementes closes with a short track called Together, featuring Adewale on pipes (I think they are long bamboo tubes hit at the ends with a flat paddle to produce a percussive but quite eery sound almost like a giant guitar being plucked) and also Kadialy Kouyate’s vocalisations over soprano sax and Maasai flute from Thomson.
I’ve mentioned Thomson’s double bass which infuses the album with a warmth and presence similar to that found in the work of someone like Danny Thompson. But if you read the credits carefully you’ll notice that he also contributes standard flute, an alto flute and a Maasai Flute to the album, as well as kalimba (thumb piano).
At first hearing the album felt ‘friendly’ to my ears, but didn’t leap out; with each fresh listening, however, I hear more and more layers and see more details in the landscape. Fresh horizons open up, I elaborate my stories. It gets deeper, richer.
My recommendation? Buy the album, stay at home, go on a journey.
(Glyn Phillips for WorldMusic.co.uk)
For a fuller biography of Adriano and his band and more of his thoughts on his music, please see my previous post (30 Sep 08) on this site, entitled:
“Adriano Adewale Group - UK Tour (to promote debut album ‘Sementes’)”
and don’t forget to check out his websites:
www.adrianoadewale.co.uk and www.myspace.com/adrianoadewale
especially for new dates added to the present tour.
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Review of “Salsa Con Soul” - Alex Wilson (AWCD6; 2008)
There’s no doubt about it, Alex Wilson has delivered an album of absolute dancefloor dynamite!
Like a racehorse out of the gate this album leaps from the decks and delivers to the final furlong! From the first stabs and the “You’re fine, you’re fine” you know that R& B latino is not just alive, but kicking some serious butt on the dancefloors and soundsystems of the UK! Honestly, British latin bands have been quietly working away at this glorious fusion of music styles for some years now, but right at the front of the pack is Alex Wilson - without a shadow of a doubt. I might be blowing our own trumpet here, but as far as I’m concerned the rest of the world can start queuing now, because THIS is where it’s all happening!
The rhythm section of Alex Wilson on piano, Javier Fioramonti on bass, Emeris Solis on congas, Dave Pattman on timbales, bongo and hand-percussion just grab you by the …um…waist, and don’t let go at all to the closing bars of the album. As for the horns (Steve Dawson and Annette Brown on trumpets and Trevor Mires and Alistair White on trombones), there are so many good points that I can only say that collectively they’re tighter than a duck’s backside (and that’s water-tight!).
And it just seems to get better as it goes along - like a good moña this album carries on turning up the heat, piling up the pressure until you can’t take any more (although the truth is I didn’t want it to stop and just keep flipping it back to the start).
You’re Fine - one of those tracks that just screams “Get on the dancefloor!!” from the opening stabs. Sung in English (like 7 of the 10 tracks on this album.) by the wonderful Aquilla Fearon (who performed the vocals on their hit “Ain’t Nobody” from the previous album “Inglaterra”) it leaves you in no doubt that this album is going to supply some serious dance moments in the salsa clubs of the world.
Sabroson - Colombian vocalist Elpidio Caicedo is on fire on this dance floor-filler that just burns away at your head and feet; absolute salsa fever! Loving the cumbia insert too ¡Güepaaa!. It’s got one of those montuno sections that just sweeps you up and rocks you all the way; lovely piano solo too from Alex - su salsa tiene su sabrosura, sí Señor. ¡Sabrosón!
Rhythm & Life - This is the first of the long-waited-for salsa -gospel mixes. And it fires on all cylinders! With a tight instrumental salsa introduction (underpinned by Nicky Brown’s organ that hints at what’s to come), the vibe subtly changes as the gospel arrangements and gorgeous harmonies come in . . . mmmmm! And then there’s Naomi Phillips with her chocolately-rich voice - what else can I say? This tune really gets under your skin (loving that trumpet too!). Lift your hands in praise indeed!
Antonio is the only instrumental on the album and shows you what a totally in-tune rhythm section can deliver. Some people tend to skip tracks without vocals (especially DJs), but please don’t! Delivered at the kind of pace we would expect from someone like Wayne Gorbea, it’s one of those sexy, dirty, grindy, winey-winey, slow-burners with a hypnotic piano vamp, garnished with some great solos from Emeris Solis on congas and Dave Pattman on timbales. But for me it’s Alex’s solo - fingers light as a butterfly but absolutely smoking - straight into a seriously heavy piano vamp to underpin those cuero solos. Sabor! (¡y como!).
Mi Buenaventura is dedicated to one of my musical heroes Peregoyo (of Peregoyo y su Combo Vacana); but here it is given the Wilson salsa treatment (but watch out for the sneaky currulao insert) with Elpidio’s vocals sounding luxuriantly costeño and those oh-so-Colombian sounding stabs and 6/8 moñas from the horns. Drives me loco!
Stronger - a gloriously romantic ‘kutch-up-to-your-girlfriend’ kind of tune. Yeah I know it’s a gospel tune really, but the arrangement is so sensual you just know how it’s going to come across on the dancefloor . . . Beautiful vocals from Naomi Phillips float over almost Brazilian sounding backing vocals at just the right rhythm and pace that allows you to cuddle up to your other half and smoooooooooch them (whilst still dancing of course). Honestly if you’re looking for some loving tonight ask the DJ to put it on and dedicate it to that one you‘ve had your eye on for the last few weeks . . .
This Time - I luuuurve slower tunes! And yes you can dance to them - it can be more difficult but ultimately more rewarding than yet-another too-too-fast salsa. And this is another absolutely hypnotising offering - check out the charanga violins and syncopated horn figures - with vocals from Aquilla Fearon over a guajira-style tune. A glorious celebration of being in love, over a dutty, dutty, DUTTY groove.
Let’s Stay Together - This is one of those trademark Alex Wilson R&B latino tracks that just ooooooozes SOUL. It gave me goosebumps from the opening lines. There are certain songs that are almost sacrosanct and Al Green’s recordings fall into this category for me; however vocalist Naomi Phillips does the honours on this tune (inspired by Tina Turner’s version) and produces some exquisite moments! The lush orchestration is matched by Naomi’s husky, yet velvety, vocals that go from a deep ripple marbled into the essence of the tune to a nightingale soaring above the band, at times achieving an electrically-charged edge reminiscent of La India’s finest!
Memories - and it just carries on getting better! The track starts with a nice full salsa orquesta sound, but then a deceptively light but rich voice just slips over the band and takes it somewhere else completely. Wayne Ellington’s vocals invite the obvious comparison with Stevie Wonder, but let’s face it we ALL love Stevie! Works a treat for me (really enjoyed the falsetto also - and some tasty timbale work from Dave Pattman); what’s more it’s one of those that’s equally relaxing to listen to at home, but both refreshing and uplifting on the dancefloor. There are about three or four very obvious floor-fillers on this album, but you’d be foolish to ignore this one. An uplifting, jazzy soulful salsa. Loving it.
Rio de Janeiro Blue - Closing the album another slice of heaven! Aquilla really does this one justice (a cover of a Randy Crawford track); it positively glows with the soul vibe that permeates the album like a rum-soaked cake. A jazzy organ sets the tone with Aquilla Fearon’s vocalisation reminding me a little of Atlanta Rhythm Section’s version of “Spooky”. But then she starts to take it elsewhere - and you know you’re along for the ride - over some beautifully understated backing vocals. Really enjoyed the trombone solo from Alistair White as well, but could have been twice as long for my tastes. Oh well, next time . . .
and can I just shout out to the backing vocalists on the album as a whole - Phebe Edwards, Samantha White, Paul Lee, Alfonso de Jesus and Nicky Brown - yet another class addition to this album.
So would I recommend this? What do you think?
Glyn Phillips
For Worldmusic.co.uk
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Billy Cobham & Asere: De Cuba y De Panamá (Astar-MwldanCD01; 2008)
“Boarding a ship leaving Panamá for New York at the age of three, Billy Cobham embarked on a voyage to a new world. Five decades later, a legendary drummer returns to his latin roots accompanied by seven young Cuban musicians treading a shared path of discovery. This album radiates energy and charm. A rich tapestry of song and groove shifting from the delicate to the powerful. It has an engaging dynamic and warmth of feeling created by an inspired musical journey.” (Liner Notes)
Beautifully crafted collaboration between drum god Cobham and the quality-dripping Asere. How much latin recollection that Billy Cobham has is debatable if he left at three years old - but it doesn’t really matter here because with someone of his abilities and sensitivities you know he’s absorbed not just the technicalities necessary to perform with Asere but enough of the spirit of the afro-cuban heritage and the ‘duende’ of the Spanish guitar to effortlessly groove on their home ground.
Jazz and rock drummers are notorious for their desire to fill every available space with their sound - anathema to the whole concept of afro-cuban percussion which is spread out between instruments and musical spaces allowing complex polyrhythms to be played and still be innately understood. But don’t worry, Billy’s massive kit just slides in there and nestles up alongside all the hand-percussion as if it always belonged there; testament to his ear and the gradual, rhythm-based way in which the songs were written from the ground up.
Asere themselves are just, as you’d expect of almost every Cuban band, a class act. Alongside the usual array of afro-cuban percussion (congas, bongó, timbales, guiro, maracas, cowbell, cajón and clave) sit bass, trumpet, tres (small Cuban guitar with six strings grouped in three lots of two), steel guitar, and Spanish guitar. It is this last (played by Andres Valdes) that subtly permeates the album to lift your mind and momentarily take it back across the Atlantic to Spain before the congas and bass, like a deep sea current, take you back via Africa to the Caribbean. David Echevarría handles the small percussion alongside vocals. I bought the album immediately after their exuberant show at Womad and was not disappointed.
The title track is the obvious dance track, a full-on, exciting, driving salsa; however others weighing in at around the 10 minute mark deserve more contemplation to reveal the deeper layers. But they are worth it. From the irresistibly smoky groove of “Destinos” and the dreamy jazz and jazz-fusion of “Panamá” and “Hoja, Otoño y Flor” to the viscerally yoruba-phonky guaguancó “Decir Asere” (maferefum asere, indeed!). For the other tracks, “Llanera” is a beautiful, elegant waltz and “Cuando Existe Amor” (adapted from Marvin Gaye’s “Right On”) is a sort of montuno funk; and if you like the work of Paco de Lucia then you’ll also love “Gypsy Soul” with its dry, intoxicating Andalucian heat.
The album was produced by John Hollis, recorded at Real World Studios in May 2007, mixed in Germany and mastered in London, so you know it’s going to be a quality piece. I’m not sure where the album’s claim to be “Music Made In Wales” (seriously!) comes from or the Theatr Mwldan’s input; but who cares when the music’s this good!
(Glyn Phillips for WorldMusic.co.uk)
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Link to Archived Reviews written by Steve Williams
Link to Archived Reviews written by Graham Radley
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