By Chris M. Slawecki
"From The Inside Out" has explored Jazz from Cuba, Brazil, California, a host of Latin American nations, and other exotic places around the globe. This month we embark on harmonic journeys to South Africa and the Caribbean. All of which leads this humble tourguide to wonder: Is world-beat Jazz caught up in a classic case of "The Chicken or The Egg" syndrome? Specifically, does it seem like labels are releasing more internationally-flavored Jazz or Jazz-flavored international music lately? Or does there seem to be more world-beat in Jazz these days simply because more people seem to be looking for it?
Vibe and marimba player Dave Samuels celebrates the rebirth of his Caribbean Jazz Project on the appropriately titled New Horizons, featuring Samuels new lineup of flutist Dave Valentin and guitarist Steve Khan. These three first played together on Tjader-ized, Samuels 1998 tribute to the founding father of Latin jazz vibes, Cal Tjader (the first CJP incarnation was Samuels with steel drummer Andy Narell and saxophonist Paquito DRivera).
"Flute and vibes have a certain sonority thats worked," Samuels figures. "Guitar and vibes has also worked. But never all three guitar, flute and vibes and never before in this style of music."
With these three instruments in the lead, New Horizons unsurprisingly opens the door to a colorful island full of warm breezes and peals of bright sunshine. The sonorities and tight instrumental interplay compare to Gary Burtons more traditional quintet featuring guitar, piano, and vibes on Like Minds with Pat Metheny and Chick Corea.
Most folks know that Valentin, Samuels, and Khan are great technicians. But what makes this Project so invigorating is its authentic feel. Absolutely deserving props: Bassist John Benitez and percussionists Richie Flores and Robert Vilera, who smoke out the Latin in this Caribbean jazz, especially in the descargas and charangas. The percussionists break up the airy textures harmonically as well as rhythmically, like those pots rattling behind Valentins flute in the opening "Descarga Canelón." Their fire alarm break makes this version of "A Night In Tunisia" thoroughly "Dizzy-ing." In fact, Samuels ends this set with vibes, marimba and percussion only in "Rompiendo El Hielo En 2000" a percussion festival draped across a simple recurring two-note figure like picket fence posts.
The feel is also engendered by some smart song sequencing, as the evocative "Ivory Coast" rounds the bends directly into the similarly panoramic "Rain Forest," and by pretty solid compositions, especially from Khan. His "Charanga Si, Si" seems a sure Latin dance-hall winner, where Valentin and Samuels both unveil strong solos and the ensemble interplay is worthy of that Grammy-winning Burton set. Khan also turns in one consistent performance after another, without a single gratuitous solo.
Smooth Africa is a celebration of another sort a celebration of how on many levels South Africa has moved closer to the rest of the world, and of how popular music around the world has grown more cognizant of Africa, too. It brings some of the dark continents most accomplished jazz musicians together with more internationally acclaimed ones such as Narell, pianist Joe McBride, and two of South Africas native sons, smooth guitarist Jonathan Butler and Hugh Masekela on fluegelhorn.
Without Masakela, Smooth Africa might have seemed incomplete. His "Grazing In The Grass" is probably the most famous pop song to come from South Africa, topping world pop charts for a few months in 1968. He turns in a simply wonderful performance on the Smooth Africa title track from somewhere between Grover Washington Jr. and Miles Davis, lending both "Smooth" and "Africa" to this sparkling tune.
Narell tap dances through "Mpule," a beautiful and sunny saunter named for the winner of the 1999 Miss Universe Contest, from Botswana in South Africa. McBride teams with Butler for the duet "Manenberg," composed by another favorite South African son, pianist Abdullah Ibrahim. Sharp and cool through "Mpule," McBride brings pure sanctified funk to the altar of "11 Ks to Freedom," which he composed to commemorate Robben Island, the prison where Nelson Mandela served his 27 years at a distance eleven kilometers from Cape Town.
South African guitarist Jimmy Dludlu lays down Smooths best cool bop groove in "Point of View." Echoing his guitar with scat vocals (or is the other way round?), his warm and full-toned solo is as good as anything heard recently from George Benson (and quite frankly outshines by any measure the more acclaimed Butlers performance).
Other South African jazzmen nobly acquit themselves on the smooth "Cape Vibes Got em?," the more rugged and dramatic "Meeting of the Women," and especially the light ballad "When Days Are Dark And Friends Are Few," which sounds like a session from mellow contemporary bassist Gerald Veasley.
The Smooth Africa CD-ROM also includes a brief language translator for pronouncing "Smooth Africa," "Love," "Music" and other phrases in Zulu and Xhosa, a photo album from the recording sessions, participating artist biographies, and promotions for major corporate sponsors of South African jazz.
Jazz fans who stay away from Smooth Africa because of that dreaded "S" word most likely do disservice only to themselves.
