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Tommy Meier: Root Down

By AAJ Italy Staff
April 1, 2008
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L'Africa, nelle sue radici più profonde e sofferte. Quella dei musicisti sudafricani in esilio (od auto-esilio, come nel caso del pianista bianco Chris McGregor), o delle canzoni di protesta contro lo sfruttamento (un cenno a "Colonial Mentality" di Fela Kuti) o la corruzione e la tirannia ("Zombie", sempre di Fela Kuti).

E però anche l'Africa dei musicisti più sperimentali svizzeri. Di chi ha decenni di militanza sulla scena radicale (Irène Schweitzer) e di chi invece, per ragioni puramente anagrafiche, sta muovendo solo oggi i primi passi importanti.

Il risultato è un album di forte impatto. Forte come può esserlo il suono di un'orchestra di quindici elementi, che ruota intorno ad un'idea precisa. Ed accanto a riferimenti naturali come Dollar Brand, il già citato Fela Kuti, o Dudu Pukwana, talvolta si scorgono approdi inconsueti, come Sun Ra od il free jazz di stampo britannico.

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Track Listing

1. The Dawn Part I - III; 2. Lady (Fela Kuti); 3. Analog - Vamp For Lady; 4. City Of Noise; 5. MRA (Dudu Pukwana); 6. Kirui Part I - V; 7. The Root; 8. Makaya And The Rain; 9. The Drought - Colo Vamp; 10. Zombie (Fela Kuti); 11. Gebrselassie Tutte le composizioni sono di Tommy Meier, tranne dove indicato altrimenti.

Personnel

Russ Johnson

trumpet

Tommy Meier; Peter Schärli; Russ Johnson; Marco von Orelli; Hans Anliker; Michael Flury; Hans Koch; Co Streiff; Jürg Wickihalder; Peter Landis; Stephan Thelen; Philipp Schaufelberger; Chris Wiesendanger; Irène Schweizer; Herbert Kramis; Christian Weber; Jan Schlegel; Fredi Flükiger; Marco Käppeli; Chris Jäger; Trixa Arnold; Joke Lanz

Album information

Title: Root Down | Year Released: 2008 | Record Label: Intakt Records

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