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Roots Magic Sextet: Long Old Road
ByTheir brand of music is not unlike that of 1960s Charles Mingus' explorations and expansion of the blues aesthetic by incorporating the Black American traditions of musical expression from the Mississippi Delta to New York. In previous recordings they've covered artists such as Charlie Patton, Julius Hemphill, Ornette Coleman, Roscoe Mitchell, and Sun Ra. Here they open the affair with the pacific percussive grooves of Kahil El'Zabar's "When The Elephant Walks." Lo Cascio's inviting vibraphone summons first flute, then bass clarinet, with horns swirling a hypnotic euphonic sound. The ensemble digs deeper with their original composition "Sula" for Toni Morrison which roils with a turbulent energy and Cal Massey's "Things Have Got To Change," a composition that was the title track of Archie Shepp's 1971 Impulse! release. The blues are the fundamental building block here. "Blues Line" dedicated to Muhal Richard Abrams draws upon some urbane and elegant blues via flute and clarinet, plus percussive attack. The title track, a cover by Bessie Smith, is presented with a quiet reverential approach. Zither and banjo echoes behind snaking clarinet, saxophone, and flute. For Roots Magic, everything new is also ancient as ancient is also avant.
Track Listing
When The Elephant Walks; Sula; Run as Slow as You Can; Blue Lines; Long Old Road; Amber; Bullying Well; Drinking Coffee Elsewhere; Things Have Got to Change.
Personnel
Alberto Popolla
clarinetErrico De Fabritiis
saxophone, altoEugenio Colombo
fluteFrancesco Lo Cascio
vibraphoneGianfranco Tedeschi
bass, acousticFabrizio Spera
drumsAdditional Instrumentation
Alberto Popolla: electric bass, banjo; Errico De Fabritiis: baritone saxophone; Eugenio Colombo: soprano saxophone; Francesco Lo Cascio: percussion; Fabrizio Spera: percussion, zither.
Album information
Title: Long Old Road | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Clean Feed Records
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