Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Ben Allison: Peace Pipe

133

Ben Allison: Peace Pipe

By

View read count
Ben Allison: Peace Pipe
The kora, an African stringed instrument that sounds much like an Indian sitar or Persian santour, lends a tantalizing exotic flavor to bassist Ben Allison’s latest album, Peace Pipe, his fourth as leader for Palmetto Records. In the capable hands of Malian virtuoso Mamadou Diabate, the kora is more than a novelty but an integral part of Allison’s vision, one that illuminates and enchants whenever it appears, which is often (Diabate steps aside only on “Peace Pipe” and “Realization”). Drummer / percussionist Michael Sarin is another indispensable piece of the whole, helping to give Allison’s compositions (he wrote all but “Dakan” and “Goin’ Back,” the first by Diabate, the second by Neil Young) the necessary rhythmic drive without drawing undue notice. As I wrote when reviewing a previous album, Third Eye, Allison “is far more interested in the broad panorama of sound than in labels or doctrinal approaches to Jazz, and his music is not easy to categorize.” Not much has changed except that Allison’s music sounds a touch more melodic this time around (perhaps that’s the kora speaking). The opener, “Third Rail,” was, he says, inspired by the music of Duke Ellington and the subways of New York City, while the playful “Slap Happy” is “about texture,” “Realization” is “a train of thought spinning itself out” and “Music Is Music” was improvised on the spot. “Disposable Genius” is the theme for the National Public Radio program On the Media, “Mantra” was recorded earlier with Allison’s band Medicine Wheel on Third Eye, and “Peace Pipe” was originally titled “Rocksteady” after the movement in Jamaican music in the mid–’60s. Diabate’s “Dakan” means “destiny” in the Malian language, Mandinka. Allison, the founder and artistic director of New York’s Jazz Composers Collective, proves again with Peace Pipe that he’s an elusive target, always moving forward and facing head–on whatever musical challenges present themselves. In doing so, he has enlisted able associates in Diabate, Sarin, saxophonist Michael Blake and pianist Frank Kimbrough (though I’ve no idea what a “prepared piano” is — prepared for what?). Tenor Peter Apfelbaum sits in on three tracks, cellist Tomas Ulrich on two, but their contributions, even though essential, are relatively minor. Interesting music, but make no mistake, the Jazz Messengers it ain’t.

Contact: Palmetto Records, 71 Washington Place, New York, NY 10011 (phone 1–800–PALMCDS; www.palmetto–records.com).

Track Listing

Third Rail; Slap Happy; Peace Pipe; Dakan; Goin' Back; Disposable Genius; Music Is Music; Realization; Mantra.

Personnel

Ben Allison
bass, acoustic

Ben Allison: bass; Mamadou Diabate: kora; Michael Blake: tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, bass clarinet; Frank Kimbrough: piano, prepared piano, Wurlitzer Organ; Michael Sarin: drums; Peter Apfelbaum: tenor saxophone (1,6,8); Tomas Ulrich: cello (1,6).

Album information

Title: Peace Pipe | Year Released: 2002 | Record Label: Palmetto Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.