Francisco Mela & Zoh Amba: Causa y Efecto, Vol. 2

Causa y Efecto, Vol. 2 avalanches into a tidal surge of Francisco Mela's terrestrial rhythms and saxophonist/flautist Zoh Amba's unhinged, Albert Ayler like howls. Explosive from the onset and unencumbered by composition, "Causa y Efecto" roils without contrition; setting the stage for the firestorm to come.

Mela's incantations—both verbal and percussive—open the magic door through which Zoh's pixie-ish, folk-dance darts and shadows. Born of native songs from Mela's Cuba and Amba's old Tennessee home, "Mundos Diversos" is a complete three-sixty from the mindset and spirit of "Causa y Efecto"'s manic contortions. That is a pretty neat trick for Amba who, at twenty-three, is taking the downtown avant-garde by shock and awe and adding "Mundos Diversos" to her growing resume.

But the duo do more than tap into the holy, renegade passions of John Coltrane and Rashied Ali. On "Experiencias" they ante up and play the full hand: When Mela wants to rumble but Amba wants to dance, she wills the piece into her orbit. Then it is vice versa. The two meet in a loopy, casual march. "MEZO" is a captivation all its intrinsic, primal own. The bold issue of two singularly energized protagonists going after the great lost wind. Headlong into the challenge they charge, unafraid and unbridled. It is a thrilling rush of an experience.

Recorded from the same April 12, 2021 session as their first collaboration, the immediate as now, Causa y Efecto, Vol. 1 (577 Records, 2022) , Causa y Efecto, Vol. 2 makes it all more immediate now. The sheer volcanics of "El Cisne Blanco" makes for one damn strong closing argument. Sworn to no theory but communal exhortation and exultation, the two range far past the margins, creating a universal cry for us all.

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