Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ivan Mazuze: Moya
Ivan Mazuze: Moya
ByMazuze's playing is expressive; tone is given as much importance as virtuosity and speed. He composes all the tracks on the release, musically based on elements of various African and Indian musical traditions, with the exception of the text for "Lunde," by Norwegian artist Hanne Tveter.
"Rohingya," the first track, is moody and atmospheric, with layers of African drumming alongside sparkling piano in a minimalist aesthetic. Mazuze's sax ranges from a strident, high wail to sinuous lows, and a melodic middle range in this fluid composition. Improvisational flights bleed into recognizable melody.
Nepalese tabla prodigy Sanskriti Shretsha adds both polyrhythmic percussion and rapid fire vocals to "Mantra," a kinetic track with a soaring soprano sax solo. Olga Konkova's piano trades melodic lines with the sax to a jumpy beat in "Massesa," with solid and inventive work from drummer Raciel Torres. There's a sense of barely contained energy captured in the recording.
The compositions are varied, and each track offers its own approach to the music. "Lunde" blends influences from Norwegian folk musicwith vocals written and performed by Hanne Tveterinto jazz rhythms. The liquid guitar solo by Bjørn Vidar Solli is one of the highlights of the album. "Nchisi" is a stand out track, composed with Ibou Cissoko, who plays the koraa 21-string bridge harp from West Africaagainst Mazuze's sax in a polyrhythmic beat.
Ivan Mazuze pushes the boundaries of contemporary jazz to include a variety of influences and sounds beyond its usual borders. Assured and virtuosic playing by Mazuze and his collaborators pull it all together into a kind of global musical language with an accessible and melodic appeal.
Track Listing
Rohingya; Mantra; Masessa; Moya; Lunde; Wemba Wa; Nchisi; Griot; Asante; Baobab; Khuloiya.
Personnel
Ivan Mazuze
saxophoneIvan Mazuze: saxophones, flute, hand claps, vocals/composer; Hanne Tveter: vocals (track 5); Bjørn Vidar Solli: guitar; Raciel Torres: drums; Per Mathisen: bass; Olga Konkova: piano; Ibou Cissokho: kora; Sidiki Camara: percussion, talking drums; Sanskriti Shretsha: tablas, vocals, (tracks 1, 2).
Album information
Title: Moya | Year Released: 2018 | Record Label: Losen Records
< Previous
Passage
Next >
Big Noise New York