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CD Review
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Muzikifan, CD Review >>
This album made a couple of UK critics' top ten lists last year so I was pleased to get it & hear the whole thing. It starts out like a mellow West African kora album but before long it has switched into a solid jazz groove in the Miles jazz-funk zone. I don't listen to much Miles Davis anymore, because back in the old days when I had a small record collection I played "Hush/Peaceful" almost daily, and some records are so engrained on your consciousness you don't really need to listen to them again. Just saying "Love will tear us apart" or "Spotlight kid" or "Elevator to the gallows" can trigger a Pavlovian response in your brain. Steve Reid's DAXAAR reminds me a bit of that era of Miles, but it's original and engaging enough for me to recommend it wholeheartedly. The subtitle is "Recorded in Africa" as if to say, Well yes, it sounds like New York, but it's actually Senegal. Reid was drummer on Miles' "Tutu" sessions; he also played with James Brown (on "Popcorn") and his music credentials include Motown (for Martha and the Vandellas' smash hit "Dancin' in the street"), Arthur Blyth's "Metamorphosis," the Apollo Theatre pit band, Marvin Gaye, and even Fela. He spent three years drumming in Africa; on his return to the US he was thrown in the slammer for not showing up to his draft board for the Vietnamese war. Recently he has played with the Sierra Leone Refugee All Stars. The mood of DAXAAR comes from the keyboards played by Boris Netsvetaev and the synth played by Kieran Hebden, neither of whom is African. The kora, trumpet, guitars and percussionist are, however, from the continent. After the long and moody "DaBronxKar" we get to another moodly piece (that's moody and noodly) "Big G's family" which starts with gender (hard "g"), the Balinese metallophone, then after the groove gets entrenched, some acid guitar blazes forth courtesy of Jimi Mbaye from Youssou Ndour's Super Etoile de Dakar. On bass is Dembel Diop who played with Omar Pene's Super Diamono, as well as Ouza et ses Ouzettes, one of the lesser-known great bands from Senegal. The Hammond organ wielded by Boris gives this album a classic sound, it reminds me a bit of the Hank Jones & Cheikh Tidiane Seck album Sarala I love so much. Yes it is a bit dated in a jazz funk bag, but there is plenty of experiment and spontaneity to keep you coming back to it.
- by Alastair Johnston 01/16/08 >> go there
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