Jazz Articles about Mamadou Ba

About Mamadou Ba

Album Review

On his smoothly cool debut Orisun (Origin), New York-based pianist/composer JoeyKeySade--pronounced “JOH-ee KEYS SHAH-deh"--certainly exhibits deft mastery and understanding of the myriad of musics between Broadway and West Africa. The problem presented, of course, is which style inevitably comes to the fore and dominates. What dominates the overall sound of Orisun (Origin) is an attractive, almost nostalgic late-70's/early-80's vibe recalling the lush, atmospheric ventures of Pat Metheny and a toned down Joe Zawinul--whom the pianist credits as a ...

Album Review

Leni Stern: Dance

by Jim Worsley
June 2, 2021

Compelling is the word. If you are in search of a one word description of Leni Stern's new record, it is indeed the word. Then again, that aptly applies to her body of work over the past thirty-five years. Dance is as much a metaphor as it is a movement. Life, in its never ending struggle to survive and move forward, relies on the merriment of dance to inspire us, push us through the difficult times, and in turn enjoy ...

Album Review

Leni Stern: Dance

by Geno Thackara
May 31, 2021

If one key to a great dance is having the right partner, it must be a doubly (maybe even exponentially) better key to have several. Leni Stern began something of a sequence by forming a new trio for the straightforward 3 (LSR, 2018) and expanding to a quartet with 4 (LSR, 2020). The same group has further gelled, and everything is even more delightfully fluid--the sound palette from dusty guitar to sleek piano with some occasional n'goni harp for flavor, the ...

Album Review

Leni Stern: 3

by Neri Pollastri
September 30, 2020

Apprezzata chitarrista e cantante, con alle spalle un considerevole numero di lavori a proprio nome, la tedesca Leni Stern è nota anche in quanto consorte di Mike Stern, una delle icone della chitarra jazz e accompagnatore di Miles Davis in ben tre album. Al marito la Stern assomiglia molto per sonorità e approccio allo strumento, mentre si differenzia per la varietà di proposte artistiche, nelle quali l'Africa è come in questo caso presente in modo diretto sia per i ritmi, ...

Album Review

Leni Stern: 4

by Jim Worsley
June 19, 2020

For her twenty-second record as a leader, Leni Stern entitled the album 4 (LSR, 2020). No mathematical difficulties here. With the addition of keyboardist Leo Genovese, her band now comprises four musicians. Stern's longtime contributors, percussionist Alioune Faye and bassist Mamadou Ba, formidably round out the quartet. You may recall her last album, sans Genovese, was the engagingly spirited 3 (LSR, 2018). Moving on to geography, the Argentinian born Genovese adds a South American influence that intertwines ...

Album Review

Leni Stern: 3

by Jim Worsley
July 21, 2018

For her critically acclaimed Dakar Suite (Leni Stern Recordings, 2016), Leni Stern presented her African enhanced sounds with lavish 10-piece orchestrations and arrangements complete with horns and violins. For this 2018 release, Stern's compositions were written specifically for a 3 piece, as opposed to adapting a 10 piece composition. Hence the title.The “Khavare" (party) gets started with the sabar (a Sengalese drum) cadence of percussionist Alioune Faye. This lively tune is broadened by bassist Mamadou Ba and buoyed ...