Ethnic Heritage Ensemble: Be Known; Ancient/Future/Music (Spiritmuse Records)

 |   |  <1 min read

Ethnic Heritage Ensemble: Be Known; Ancient/Future/Music (Spiritmuse Records)

At a time when some young jazz musicians are reaching back to the project of black American spiritual and political jazz for their platform, it's thrilling that this long-running outfit steered by Chicago percussion player Kahil El'Zabar delivers an album as emotional and as powerful as this.

Located somewhere between the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Sun Ra, the Revolutionary Ensemble, Albert Ayler and others who advanced the project of free jazz and collective playing in the Seventies, this is deeply grounded with terrific energy from baritone saxophonist Alex Harding, trumpeter Corey Wilkes and cellist Ian Maksin.

There's a yearning on Little Sunflower (dedicated to trumpeter Roy Hargrove who died last year, a later version of the same is for Freddie Hubbard) and a more vigorous workout on Blew It (for Hamiet Bluiett).

There is also Pharoah (for Mr Sanders) and Ntozake is a lament for Ntozake Shange, the black feminist writer who also died last year.

With touches of funk, a hint of West Africa and the ambition of the ancestors cited, this is as excellent album which, while grounded in the past, seems utterly contemporary given the success of Kamasi Washington, The Comet is Coming, Sons of Kemet and others.

You can hear it at Spotify here.


Share It

Your Comments

post a comment

More from this section   Jazz at Elsewhere articles index

Thomas Demenga: Chonguri (ECM/Ode)

Thomas Demenga: Chonguri (ECM/Ode)

This might seem an unusual choice for Music From Elsewhere -- classical music on violoncello with piano and accordion accompaniment. But Demenga's catalogue is impressive and his '94 duet album... > Read more

Tania Giannouli: Solo (Rattle/digital outlets)

Tania Giannouli: Solo (Rattle/digital outlets)

Greek pianist/composer Tania Giannouli has had a long association with Auckland's Rattle label, this being her fifth release through them. She has recorded with taonga puoro artist Rob Thorne... > Read more

Elsewhere at Elsewhere

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Days of Heaven

Buenos Aires, Argentina: Days of Heaven

There’s a typewriter in Heaven. I’ve seen it -- and for me, who has spent a good part of my life tapping on a keyboard, this was a depressing discovery. I’d thought Heaven,... > Read more

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT . . . CHAPPAQUA: Ornette, Ravi and Rooks at a strange crossroad

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT . . . CHAPPAQUA: Ornette, Ravi and Rooks at a strange crossroad

Think: What if you made a movie -- your personal story of an emotional and dependency struggle -- so very dear to your heart. But no one went to see it? Now maybe here's perhaps something... > Read more