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Kahil El'Zabar
Born:
Internationally renowned percussionist and composer Kahil El'Zabar is considered one of the most prolific jazz innovators of his generation. Indeed El'Zabar is a true "Renaissance Man," with a musical style and content that flows from ancient Africa to the modern world. In his own words, "The spirit of one's approach comes first before the technical. All the facility in the world with nothing that comes from the heart doesn't make good music. The basis of the strength of any artistic evolution has come from ethnicity."
Even though he is fully grounded in the history and music of his African American community, he has taken his studies deeper, ingeniously incorporating African music and instrumentation, producing a unique and wonderfully engaging sound. He credits his community with providing some direction towards African sensibility. "I grew up in a period when African Americans, as a large body, finally started addressing our roots. With African drums there was such an appeal in the way of playing with the hands and the sense of the entire body being involved in the playing of the instrument." El'Zabar is an accomplished musician with mastery of a variety of instruments, from the elementary - congas, bongos, African drums, shekere, gongs, and trap drums - to the esoteric - balaphon, marimba, sanza, kalimba and berimbau.
Ornette Coleman's and Horace Silver's "Lonely Woman" — A Disambiguation
by Artur Moral
Reality is filled with confusion and misunderstandings; some are suggestive or creative, while others are disappointing or, worse, malicious. The jazz world is no stranger to the first type: specific compositions are often confused or misidentified as if they were the same. Usually, this happens because of similar melodies or titles that are sometimes identical. This ...
Christoph Irniger's Pilgrim: Human Intelligence (live)
by Mark Corroto
"The one thing I concluded was not to try and reproduce a live event--I thought, live goals are different. There might be more improvisation, more risk," Christoph Irniger reflects in the liner notes to Pilgrim's 2023 studio album Ghost Cat (Intakt). The saxophonist and composer reinforces the idea with this electrifying live recording, captured at Red ...
Ten Terrific Sax Plus Organ Combinations
by Artur Moral
OK, maybe the electric guitar was its first and most celebrated love affair, but the organ's alliances with the saxophone's family members are undoubtedly among the richest musical combinations, both in terms of sound and the intense interrelationships that typically develop in such encounters. Whether it be a tenor with a Hammond, a soprano with an ...
Open Me: A Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit
Label: Spiritmuse
Released: 2024
Track listing: All Blues; Barundi; The Whole World; Return Of The Lost Tribe; Hang Tuff; Can You Find A Place; Great Black music; Passion Dance; Ornette; Compared To What; Kari; Open Me.
Chris May's Best Jazz Albums Of 2024
by Chris May
In case you missed the sad news, our dear friend and compatriot, Chris May, passed away in November (read our tribute). Below are the albums he considered extraordinary in 2024--a final testament to his discerning taste and love of sound. -mR Rob LuftDahab Days Edition Records
Freedom & American Themes + Captain Black Big Band
by David Brown
Here is the show from Independence Day weekend with American and freedom themes as explored by jazz artists. From there, we'll check out some works from the Orrin Evans Captain Black Big Band, and more. Welcome friends and neighbors to The Jazz Continuum. Old, new, in, out... wherever the music takes us. Each week, we will ...
Peter Van Huffel, Mary Halvorson & Liba Villavechia
by Maurice Hogue
Canadian expat-saxophonist Peter Van Huffel has found a place amidst that hotbed of free-wheeling music in Berlin, and his latest release with his band Callisto reinforces his position as one of the exciting voices working today. Meandering Demons out on Clean Feed introduces a newer band with (Clean Feed) with another Canadian who spends a lot ...
James Brandon Lewis, Kenny Drew, Satoko Fujii, Julian Lage
by David Brown
We kick off the show with some works that blur the lines of genre from James Brandon Lewis, Mary Halvorson and the Chicago Underground Duo; move into a set of late '50s recordings by pianist Kenny Drew, and then take off in all directions from there: piano trios from Satoko Fujii, Marc Copland and Matthew Shipp; ...
Kahil El'Zabar's Ethnic Heritage Ensemble: Open Me: A Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit
by Chris May
The first few bars of Open Me: A Higher Consciousness Of Sound And Spirit promise the listener is in for a treat. Corey Wilkes' muted trumpet plays Miles Davis' “All Blues" counterpointed by Alex Harding's rugged baritone saxophone and Kahil El'Zabar's ankle bells and kalimba. Here is Ethnic Heritage Ensemble in all its enchanting bare-bones singularity, ...
