Jazz Articles about Sonic Liberation Front

Oliver Lake: Justice

by Alberto Bazzurro
December 15, 2022

Il sottotitolo dell'album parla di The Vocal Works of Oliver Lake ad opera della somma di due gruppi gemelli. In realtà questo prezioso lavoro contiene ben di più: una visione cameristica della musica da parte del grande sassofonista, fresco ottantenne, con i colori di quell'approccio al mondo dei suoni, ma attraverso una visione al tempo stesso eloquentemente calata in tutto l'universo nero (ci sono qua e là accenti funkeggianti, così cari a Oliver Lake, interventi tenoristici anche ruvidi, e svariati ...

Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts: Hang Time

by Jack Bowers
October 20, 2013

Hang Time consists of music written and performed by two student ensembles at the Colorado Conservatory for the Jazz Arts: Group Giz, an octet directed by trumpeter Greg Gisbert, and Group Gunn, a septet presided over by pianist Eric Gunnison. The CCJA is a non-profit organization “dedicated to empowering youth to creatively express themselves through the language of jazz." Drummer Paul Romaine serves as the Conservatory's artistic director. Aside from its reassurance that the future of jazz ...

Sonic Liberation Front: Meets Sunny Murray

by Mark Corroto
April 26, 2011

Sonic Liberation Front--the inheritors of both Sun Ra and the Art Ensemble of Chicago's traditions--teams up with jazz legend, drummer Sunny Murray, to create both a studio and live recording. The music continues SLF's dedicated effort to mine the percussive traditions of Afro-Cuban, Yoruba/West Africa, and American-fostered free jazz. The percussion-heavy band's previous release, Change Over Time (High Two, 2006), included some electronic flavors. Here, the sound is all acoustic, with free jazz drummer Murray providing the inspiration ...

Sonic Liberation Front: Change Over Time

by Jeff Stockton
January 29, 2007

Twelve musicians play in the Sonic Liberation Front on Change Over Time, but only three appeared on the group's previous release, 2004's critically acclaimed Ashe a Go- Go, including musical directors Kevin Diehl and Chuckie Joseph. As you would expect from a band led by drummers, the music leads with an African/Cuban/Caribbean percussive attack that reminds you of David Murray's work with the Gwo-Ka Masters, Fela's blend of ripping saxophone, multiplicity of drums and hypnotic vocals--and, when they talk trash ...

Sonic Liberation Front: Change Over Time

by Nic Jones
December 20, 2006

There are a lot of elements to this music--too many, in fact--and they gel only intermittently. Percussion workouts, vocals, the overt use of Pan-African music, and horn solos all vie for attention, but after a few listens, many of them just seem to fade into the background.

The programme starts well enough with “The Next Thing That Happens," but over the course of its four minutes, its promise far exceeds its realisation, and the Ornette Coleman-esque line of the horns ...

Sonic Liberation Front: Ash

by Brian P. Lonergan
March 30, 2005

At Satalla in late January, Sonic Liberation Front delivered a rousing set that was representative (almost song-for-song) of the group's new album, Ashé A Go-Go. Their second release since forming in 2000, Ashé continues the Front's compelling combination of Afro-Cuban batá drumming from the Nigerian Yoruba tradition with angular horn melodies in the style of Ornette Coleman and others. The group opened the set at Satalla with the album's title track, written by percussionist Kevin Diehl, which features ...

Sonic Liberation Front: Ash

by John Kelman
September 4, 2004

Sonic Liberation Front, led by percussionist Kevin Diehl, straddles the space between Afro-Cuban music and free jazz. The music on the group's second release, Ashé a Go-Go , is filled with infectious primitive rhythms, but what Diehl layers over those beats is another beast entirely. Utilizing an up to four-piece horn section over the percussion and bass, Diehl puts to work some of the lessons learned from his studies with free jazz drummer Sunny Murray, and demonstrates that one can ...