(Review by Steve H).
One of the main reasons I can’t cope with
wildlife programmes on TV is the ridiculous corny music that they use to
accompany the various shots of a kangaroo feeding its young or a crocodile
swallowing a man whole etc.. Well if
they were to use a soundtrack like the music found on this album I might begin
to reappraise my viewing habits.
The Brazilian Saxophone player Felipe Salles’s
Ugandan Suite comprises of five movements each named after an African
animal.
The first movement The Buffalo begins with a flute introduction symbolising the birds
encircling overhead the roaming cattle.
Once the horns join in we get the imagery of the rumbling beasts. This
track reminded me of the McCoy Tyner Fly
With the Wind album of the late 70’s. The next movement to cross our paths
is one you are unlikely to forget The
Elephant. Here the Baritone Sax represents this enormous creature
but the highlight of this track is the
percussion apparently inspired by Ugandan circumcision dance music. We leap
into movement three with The Leopard,
the start of which is reminiscent of South African Jazz giant Abdullah Ibrahim
before finishing in Rollins' inspired
calypso style. The Rhinoceros follows
not surprisingly this is the heaviest track on the album; the percussion excels
again but the twin tenor playing of Salles and Liebman is quite inspiring. The
final movement The Lion does not so
much roar in but the sound of rhythmic African drums leads us majestically to
the core of the track where the whole ensemble produces a fairly straight ahead
jazz track before the album is drawn to
a close with a delicate gentle piano finale.
This album is a magnificent fusion of Jazz,
African and -South American styles. If only ‘Life on Earth’ was really like
this. Are you listening David
Attenborough this is Animal Magic?
For more info and samples check out this Capri release here.
Steve H.
Felipe
Salles; Tenor and Baritone Saxophones, Flutes, Bass Clarinet, Handclaps; David
Liebman: Wooden Flute, Soprano and Tenor Saxophones; Damascus Kafumbe:
(O)Mugalabe, (E) Ngom'enene, (E) Nduumi, Kadodi, Inemba, Indonyi, Mbuutu,
Mpuunyi, Atin Bull, Min Bull, Ngalabi Drums, Ndingidi Tube-Fiddle, Adungu
Bow-Harp, Nsaasi Gord Shakers, Madinda Xylophone; Rogerio Boccato: All Other
Percussion, (E) Nduumi Drums, Handclaps; Nando Michelin: Piano, Handclaps;
Keala Kaumeheiwa: Bass, Handclaps; Bertram Lehmann: Drumset, Atin Bull Drums,
Handclaps; Lucas Apostoleris: Handclaps.
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