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Abdullah
Ibrahim
Senzo
SUNNYSIDE 1212
AAAA 1 /2
The last track of
Abdullah Ibrahim’s
Senzo, “Ocean And
The River,” ends with
a question mark—its
final, unresolved note
resonating with an
unmistakable search
for the next horizon. It’s a promising finish to an
album that might otherwise feel like a valedictory,
as it represents Ibrahim’s virtual autobiography
in song.
The 22-part solo suite, all original except for a
transformative musing on Duke Ellington’s “In
A Sentimental Mood,” is a ruminative, deeply
felt integration of themes and sounds from
throughout the pianist’s life. The title translates
as “ancestor” in Japanese and Chinese, and is
also the name of Ibrahim’s father—an apt confluence
of the cultural and personal that captures
the at once introspective and expansive feel of
this breathtaking CD.
Ibrahim relates his history in the manner of a
weaver of folk tales, distilling his concepts into
forms related in accessible, broad strokes that
nonetheless communicate layers of meaning.
Calling them simple might seem disparaging,
but it’s the difference
between the simplicity
of limited ideas and a
simplicity achieved.
Superfluous gestures
have been dispensed
with in favor of a direct
emotionality.
Take “Blues For A
Hip King,” which in the
course of six minutes
evolves from smoky
blues to wistful optimism
to a memorable
pop lyricism that would make Paul Simon jealous,
to a gospel prayer almost too private to listen
in on. With all of the tributes to John
Coltrane that have been recorded over the years,
“For Coltrane” has to be one of the most striking.
No gushing love letter, it’s a quietly spiritual
tribute passed in a steely whisper. “Banyana,
Children Of Africa” briefly touches upon the
South African swing so important to Ibrahim’s
catalog, while “Blue Bolero” offers grand chamber
drama.
—Shaun Brady
Senzo: Ocean And The River; In The Evening; Blues Of Bea;
Prelude “For Coltrane”; Aspen; Blues For A Hip King; Third Line
Samba; Tookah; Pula; For Coltrane; Dust; Corridors Radiant;
Jabulani; Dust (Reprise); Nisa; “Senzo”—Contours And Time;
Meditation/Mummy; Banyana, Children Of Africa; Mamma; Blue
Bolero; In A Sentimental Mood; Ocean And The River. (57:19)
Personnel: Abdullah Ibrahim, piano.
»
Ordering info: sunnysiderecords.com
Branford
Marsalis
Quartet
Metamorphosen
MARSALIS MUSIC 74946
AAAA
It’s a bit strange that
Branford Marsalis titled
the latest album by his
superb group with the
German word for metamorphosis,
as the recording
captures his band
attaining new levels of refinement, not transformation.
Interestingly, on an album where the
band, which has maintained a steady line-up for
more than a decade, sounds stronger and more
unified than ever, the personalities of the members
have never been more clearly displayed.
Each contributes two or more tunes, while the
leader only penned one, the wonderfully slaloming
“Jabberwocky.” That piece features Marsalis
on the alto sax for the first time in 20 years,
unleashing a 19-bar melody that seems like it
was made for Lee Konitz.
The various elements each player brings to
the fold are all part of the band’s dynamic
sound, so rather than seeming disparate, they
highlight different facets of their approach. The
band can stop on a dime;
accelerating and decelerating
like opening and
closing a fist, such as
the way their invigorating
take on Thelonious
Monk’s “Rhythm-A-
Ning” uses the tune like a
big piece of taffy. Pianist
Joey Calderazzo provides
two pensive ballads that
manage to sound weightless—even
while drummer
Jeff “Tain” Watts
riddles the gauziness of “The Blossom Of
Parting” with probing, hard-hitting volleys.
Unsurprisingly, Watts brings in some of the
heaviest tunes, including the ferocious opener.
But my favorite piece here may be “Sphere” by
bassist Eric Revis, a jagged, lurching gem that
acknowledges its Monk-like qualities in its title
and some sly quotes by Marsalis and
Calderazzo. Metamorphosis or not, this quartet
has rarely sounded better. —Peter Margasak
Metamorphosen: The Return Of The Jitney Man; The Blossom
Of Parting; Jabberwocky; Abe Vigoda; Rhythm-A-Ning; Sphere;
The Last Goodbye; And Then, He Was Gone; Samo. (61:38)
Personnel: Brandford Marsalis, saxphones; Joey Calderazzo,
piano; Eric Revis, bass; Jeff “Tain” Watts, drums.
Ordering info: marsalismusic.com
»
June 2009 DOWNBEAT 61