Sunday,
November, 18,
2007
FLY HOME
NEWS
AFRICA/MIDDLE EAST
ASIA/PACIFIC
CARIBBEAN
EUROPE
-Features
-Reviews
-City Guides/Events
LATIN AMERICA
US/CANADA
- - - - - -
FLY VIDEO
FLYkr GALLERIES
FLY CD SHOP (UK)
FLY CD STORE (US)
Recorded back in January on a trip to Senegal, Daxaar begins with enchanting strums in a Ali Farka Toure-like mood, with Isa Kouyate welcoming the listener through his singing and kora playing reminiscent of Baaba Maal or Ba Cissoko.
The tempo rises in the album’s title track altering the mood completely as well as the intense percussion the electronic expertise of Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet cranks up the pace to Konono #1 style trance. Boris Netsvetaev’s organ sounds are superb, tiptoeing on top of Steve Reid and Khadim Badji’s beats. ‘Daxaar’ surpasses any label of genre, suitable for all dancefloors from Dakar to Dalston.
Having really enjoyed Steve Reid’s Spirit Walk, I was a tad lost in the experimental freeness of his more recent projects with Four Tet. In Daxaar, the abundance of awesome grooves returns with Steve Reid leading a fantastic ensemble of multi-skilled musicians. The standard of playing is outstanding throughout the record. ‘Jiggy Jiggy’ is an excellent jazz funk track with a lush trumpet solo from Roger Ongolo and a gliding rhythm that rolls and rolls. ‘Dabronxxar’ bridges the Atlantic with a clamouring beat and more quality trumpet playing, this time a ghostly beauty circa Erik Truffaz or Fulvio Sigurtà. As the tune evolves over 10 minutes the incessant beat maintains its intensity while the bassline thumps along reminding me of Bobby Valetin’s ‘Batman Boogaloo’.
‘Big G’s Family’ moves with clattering chimes and another melodic bassline plus trumpet solos which outshine the guitar. As the percussion dominates towards the end of the tune, once more the enthralling playing entrances me. Looped rhythms are added to with more lush instrumental layers in ‘Don’t Look Back’, here the flickers of guitar standout sounding similar to moments in the recent monumental release by deep house don Timmy Regisford ‘African Jazz’.
To coincide with the release, a live show on Tuesday 20th November at the Barbican is scheduled as part of the London Jazz Festival. A mouth-watering prospect, Four Tet joins the Steve Reid Ensemble plus The Heritage Orchestra are also on the bill.
Links:
Steve Reid
Steve Reid and Kieran Hebden
Four Tet
Domino Records
Boris Netsvetaev
Fulvio Sigurtà
Timmy Regisford
Barbican Centre
The pairing of Keiran Hebden and Steve Reid is viewed as the ‘odd couple’ of world/jazz/electronica so it’s now surprise they decide to record the new album in Dakar. Hectic investigates whether it was worth the trip?
Putting aside carbon footprint issues and the like, the edition of the Steve Reid Ensemble only retains Boris Netsvetaev (keyboards) and Hebdon from the Spirit Walk album on Soul-Jazz as I’m assuming the rest of the band are locals at the Dakar Studio where this was recorded.
I don’t suppose these musicians are aware of the Tongues album of earlier this year of the previous The Exchange Session sessions that got the Hebden/Reid collabs going which is I suppose the whole reason for the journey.
I suspect the concept was to get fresh ideas for their improvised sessions from a space age afrobeat perpective. Did they get it? I my view, the answer is probably sometimes. When the Ensemble do come together, like on the title track and last track ‘Don’t Look Back’, they rock the joint. At other times, I thought they lost the plot in a jazz-funk revival type way with some synthy twindly bits.
‘Daxaar’ is a real percussive workout of a Nova period which means probably one of two things depending on your age. Why is Hebden on this or there should be more Hebdon. Well on ‘Daxaar’ I’m not concerned as it’s a great track but on ‘Jiggy Jiggy’, it’s a bit too Grant Green meets the Klangers even though I like the dubby echo bits.
That aside, you can take it the drums, bass and percussion are great throughout, and when Boris (keyboards) and Roger (Trumpet) feature, like on the longest track ‘Daronxxar’ and ‘Big G’s Family’, they out shine them all.
Ignoring the ‘Hebden’ debate for a moment, the opening track is a solo performance unconnected with the band called ‘Welcome’ by Isa Kouyate on vocals and kora which is for World fans and more in tune with, say Dee Dee Bridgewater’s Red Earth project.
Since this was recorded in January and we know Kieran has now been introduced to the Tenori-On so what the ace remix man could do any future remix package could split opinion even further, (see The Remixes)
If you are in two minds on this, like me, give it a chance and a few good listen and it’ll pay rewards.
Hectic Mix nominations: ‘Daxaar’, ‘Don’t Look Back’, ‘Welcome’, ‘Big G’s Family’
Steve Reid — Live in UK dates confirmed!!
THE STEVE REID ENSEMBLE
feat. Kieran Hebden live:
Saturday March 15th - Jazz Café - London. Doors 7pm. £22.50 advance.
5 Parkway
Camden Town
London NW1 7PG
www.jazzcafelive.com
www.ticket-text.com
0870 060 3777
Sunday March 16th - Bluecoat - Liverpool. 8:00pm - 10:00pm. £15
School Lane
Liverpool
L1 3BX
www.thebluecoat.org.uk
0151 709 5297 × 127
Wednesday 19th March - The Voodoo Rooms - Edinburgh. £12
19a West Register St
Edinburgh
EH2 2AA
www.thevoodoorooms.com
0131 556 7060
Fly Music Shop UK / Fly Music Shop US
V/A - All Your Beats Vol. 3 EP
V/A - Jazzy Vibes (Compiled by Dean Rudland)
Lee Ritenour - Lee Ritenour's 6 String Theory
Deolinda - Dois Elos Um Carimbo
Andy Votel - Vintage Voltage (Plugged-In-Prog & Conrete Pop)
Add to Del.icio.us
I have to say i loved the first two tracks on this album, albeit for very different reasons.