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A couple of years ago, these guys got together to produce the album Joystone that featured Finnish horn favourites Timo Lassy, Jukka Eskola and Juha Kortehisto for some big band Fela Kuti inspired Afro-jazz and funk.

4th Dimension is a slightly smaller affair in personnel terms but no less powerful on the rhythm and features loads of horns - and if you don’t believe me, check out ‘Fast Legs’ which is big on both. Gilles Peterson might have picked up on ‘Aligned Planets’ and ‘Global Party’ but there’s the fantastic extended workout on ‘Magical World’ and sixties synth-percussion mix of ‘Higher Styx’ to pick out just two more.

For the leftfielders, there’s the ‘minimal’ sound of ‘El Lahti!’ (that’s up for the remix), big band jazz meets psychedelic rock on ‘Mogadishu Ave’ and ‘Kolmikanta’ (from the Lalo Schifrin end of influences), more Sun Ra on ‘Floating Orange’ and ‘Mega Roots’ is like a Serengeti field recording. After Mulatu collaborations with The Heliocentrics and talk of Tenor teaming up with Tony Allen, this is going to be a big year for Afrobeat. .

The only gripe I’d have of 4th Dimension and it’s more of a niggle really, where is Nicole Willis? That said, if you are a regular FLY reader and can find a duff track on this album I’d be very surprised as it lives up to all expectations after Joystone.

Currently released on Tenor’s own Sähkö Recordings but you can expect future International distribution will be by with Ubiquity and if you there’s already some European Festival appearances booked up - it’s a magical world alright.

Reviewed: Jimi Tenor & Kabu Kabu - 4th Dimension (Sähkö Recordings) Cat. No. PUU35CD Release date: February 2009
Tracklisting :
1 Aligned Planets (2:28)
2 Mystery Spot (5:46)
3 Global Party (5:05)
4 Triple Helix (5:18)
5 Grind! (6:19)
6 Mogadishu Ave (4:34)
7 Mega Roots (3:08)
8 Me I Say Yes (5:09)
9 Floating Orange (4:39)
10 El Lahti! (2:57)
11 Kolmikanta (6:20)
12 Fast Legs (3:10)
13 Higher Styx (4:36)
14 Magical World (9:05)

Links:
www.jimitenor.com
www.myspace.com/myjimitenor
www.myspace.com/kabukabuberlin
www.last.fm/music/Jimi Tenor & Kabu Kabu
www.sahkorecordings.com
www.phinnweb.org/sahko/puu
Gilles Peterson :: 12th February 2009 :: Tony Allen / Hypnotic Brass Ensemble Maida Vale Session
Jimi Tenor & Kabu Kabu - Aligned Planets (Sahko Recordings)
Jimi Tenor & Kabu Kabu - Global Party (Sahko Recordings)