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Fusion Jonda: Fusion Jonda
by James Nadal
Ever since the Spanish first crossed the Atlantic Ocean in search of India, gold and spices, mistakenly landing upon the shores of Caribbean islands, there has been an ongoing process of acculturation. Puerto Rico, having been under the Spanish flag and influence for hundreds of years, absorbed Spanish music as well as the rhythms brought over ...
Abdullah Ibrahim: The Song Is My Story
by James Nadal
Blessed is the artist who has reached the zenith of his craft, and endured to reap the rewards, becoming the wise elder reflecting upon a lifetime of creative accomplishment. Having left an impressive body of work, he still greets the dawn with exuberance and optimism. Pianist Abdullah Ibrahim is such an artist. As a consummate and ...
Yosi Levy: The Yosi Levy Acoustic Project
by James Nadal
Beyond the element of surprise found in the music of exotic lands, there is the alluring mystery which emanates from the ancestral origins of the culture itself. Guitarist Yosi Levy, with The Acoustic Project, has produced an amazing fusion of traditional Middle Eastern and Indian music injected with improvisational jazz textures and nuances, offering an amalgamation ...
BKO Quintet: Bamako Today
by James Nadal
While most musicians have the convenience of being in a relaxed atmosphere while preparing to produce a record, this was not the situation for the members of the BKO Quintet. Amidst the revolutionary turmoil which embroiled Mali in late 2012 to the brink of civil war, they maintained focused on their musical endeavor, albeit with a ...
Selasee & The FaFa Family: Time For Peace
by James Nadal
West African palm wine music, by the 1920's, was morphed into highlife in the country of Ghana --becoming the country's most popular and identifiable genre--and is the core substance of Time For Peace. Led by Ghanian native Selasee Atiase, now residing in America, The FaFa Family delivers roots reggae inflected with a soft undercurrent of highlife, ...
Chris Klaxton: Starcode
by James Nadal
Oftentimes the back story behind the motivation and inspiration for songs compiled on a record is just as fascinating as the music itself. Case in point is trumpeter Chris Klaxton, whose interest in subjects as diverse as astrophysics, the intellectual philosophies of Ouspensky and Gurdjieff, and spiritual continuity of life, culminated in his recording Starcode. Though ...
Francesco Marcocci: FOLKLORiCO
by James Nadal
If the Mediterranean can be arguably construed as the cradle of civilization, then Italy certainly has a favorable geographical position in this debate, as it protrudes into the middle of the sea. Francesco Marcocci learned the bass in his hometown of Pisa, Italy, and in the process absorbed the rich musical legacies prevalent in the region. ...
Cafêzz: Music & Friends
by James Nadal
There are as many varieties of jazz composers, as they are styles of the music itself. With innumerable artists converging onto an ever emerging genre, it's interesting to witness how the music is evolving. Pianist Carmen Noemí is a cultured lyrical composer, who organized the band Cafêzz as a vehicle for showcasing melodious metaphors on her ...
Baka Beyond: After the Tempest
by James Nadal
Back in 1992, before the term “world music" was prevalently used, British guitarist Martin Cradick and his wife, vocalist Su Hart, went on an expedition into the Cameroon jungle to learn about the music of the Baka Forest People. This led to an interesting cultural collaboration, and an enduring relationship lasting into the present. In the ...
Roy McGrath Quartet: Martha
by James Nadal
In music as well as life, to succeed one must often take chances, jazz is undoubtedly filled with risk takers which were essential in determining this music. The saxophone for Roy McGrath has taken him on a remarkable journey since leaving his home in Puerto Rico to seek his musical passion. It wound through many years ...
