“I went to Africa the first time to learn from all the masters; after 40 years I went to give something back,” says fabled drummer Steve Reid, speaking by phone from his home in Switzerland.

Reid is speaking excitedly of Daxaar, the new album by the Steve Reid Ensemble. It drops in early March on Domino, the feisty, adventurous indie that has given us Franz Ferdinand’s debut, Robert Wyatt’s Comic Opera, and Animal Collective’s Strawberry Jam to name a few. “The title means combining the musical tradition of Dakar, with the sound of where I come from in the Southeast Bronx,” he explains.

The album features a new edition of the SRE. Kieran Hebden (of Four Tet) and keyboard whiz Boris Netsvetaev, are carry-overs from the SRE that cut the excellent Spirit Walk album in 2005. In addition, there are a handful of young musicians from Dakar in Senegal recruited. They include: percussionist Khadim Badji, Roger Ongolo on trumpet, Jimi M’Baye on guitar, and bassist Dembel Diop. The new set also includes a beautiful opening cut, appropriately titled “Welcome,” with griot and kora master Isa Kouyate singing.

We were fortunate enough to be able to speak to Reid at length about the album, his biography and travels, and his rather optimistic views on the musical and cultural landscape as the world grows smaller. We’ll get into those later in the week.

-by Thom Jurek