Jazz Articles about Mor Thiam

Mor Thiam: Back To Africa

by AAJ Staff
July 1, 2000

After playing on World Saxophone Quartet records and in Bluiett/Jackson/Thiam, Senegalese percussionist Mor Thiam steps out on his own on Back To Africa, recorded in late '98 in Dakar, Senegal. On this record, he demonstrates his remarkable ability to pull together a huge list of West African players and get a coherent record out of the affair. Roughly half of the pieces consist of stark drumming; the other half breeze through uplifting Afro-pop.

While the combination may seem incongruous, it's ...