Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Niclas Knudsen: Radio Timbuktu

3

Niclas Knudsen: Radio Timbuktu

By

Sign in to view read count
Niclas Knudsen: Radio Timbuktu
Imagine a radio in the middle of a desert playing music that is a mixture of tribal rituals, dusty blues and rock, Afrobeat and New Orleans jazz. This radio exists and it is located on Danish guitarist Niclas Knudsen's album Radio Timbuktu.

Many people will know Knudsen from his involvement with the funk group Ibrahim Electric, but Knudsen is a restless musical explorer and this is reflected on an album where he enlists many of his favorite musicians. He builds his group around guitar, drums and a powerful brass section with trumpet, trombone and tuba.

A poignant example of the eclectic nature of Knudsen's music is "The Big Gundown," a strange stew that unites influences from Ennio Morricone's western music, Arabic scales, slide guitar blues and a reference to the standard "My Favorite Things."

This is music filled with funk and rhythm. The master of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti, is saluted on "Fela Boogie" where the brass rhythms bounce and Knudsen plays with wah-wah guitar.

"Low, Down, Dirty" is a reflective blues. Knudsen lets the notes slide and gradually the brass section enters with slow, mournful motifs. However, at heart of it all is the rhythm and the closer "Lagos Frequency" underlines that this is a group that likes to have a party and it is hard to refuse the invitation when hearing the sounds of Radio Timbuktu.

Track Listing

Ella; The Big Gundown; Le Funk Mystique; Taste the Medicine; Fela Boogie; Tiger Lily; Low, Down, Dirty; Lagos Frequency.

Personnel

Niclas Knudsen
guitar, electric

Niclas Knudsen: guitar; Lars Vissing: trumpet; Mads Hyhne: trombone; Jacob Munck: tuba, tenor-horn, trombone; Mads Andersen: drums.

Album information

Title: Radio Timbuktu | Year Released: 2014 | Record Label: Gateway Music

Comments

Tags


For the Love of Jazz
Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who create it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

What Was Happening
Bobby Wellins Quartet
Laugh Ash
Ches Smith
A New Beat
Ulysses Owens, Jr. and Generation Y

Popular

Eagle's Point
Chris Potter
Light Streams
John Donegan - The Irish Sextet

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.