There ought to be a law against releasing albums like this at the fag end of summer. It should have come out as the last of the late Easter egg wrappers are going in the recycling and the covers are coming off the soft top XR3s and Golf GTIs ready for the first runs of the year. But we are where we are with 47 minutes of music that should have been top of the playlists as the November rains finally stopped in June.
For the avoidance of
doubt this album opens with a run of pinpoint guitar which instantly places it
geographically. Infectious foot tapping township jive powered by pointilist
guitar and swinging sax make for a brew that adds a swing to every part of the
body. Whilst that recipe holds for the first two tracks (Thokozile, Sungura Stomp) it is filed away for future use for
third track, Lonely Days, an almost
George Benson-ish piece of Californian swing with sax and guitar front and
forwards. Hound Cat continues in this
mood. It’s smooth and groovy, Steely Dan-ish, with a goodly slice of funk in
the recipe, especially when it breaks down to just sax and percussion for a few
stark, but energetic bars. Hound Cat evokes
those mellow grooves from the mid-seventies when many believed that jazz-funk
would take over the world. It’s nice, with fine soloing, especially by Terry
Quinney and Rob Palmer, and captures that summer mood perfectly. As does Afro Quests Afro-swing, with Cheikh
Diop’s added percussion and Quinney’s wandering soprano solo. Perhaps this
would have more impact if the drums really cracked instead of landing with a
softer thud. Having said that it understays its welcome.
Diop’s driving percussion
and Shaughnessy’s bass return Umtatata more
effectively to African roots with the horns chorus providing almost gospel
interjections over the rhythm section. Secret
Agent is a Tony Allen composition and the godfather of Afrobeat is well
served by this version. A ghostly opening leads into a growing storm that
climaxes in a full throated, rough voiced tenor solo. This one actually had me
up and dancing. Both Secret Agent and
the following Laredo 77 benefit from a
few extra minutes that allow them to grow. Laredo
77 has a Latin backbeat with a front line of declaiming horns. This is
proud music with a subversive, almost threatening undertone. It reminded me of
Don Drummond’s Addis Ababa (as re
arranged into Journey to Addis by
Third World).
Album closer M’RA is by Dudu Pukwana; an elegant
flowing piece with Diop’s percussion filling all the gaps. A solid bass
foundation is overlaid with extended, swinging melody lines. This is a rich,
joyous mix with the guitar again to the fore. It’s a lovely piece to finish on,
uplifting and optimistic.
Even though the kids are
back at school, I’ll keep this one handy in case we get an Indian Summer. Dave Sayer
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