MUSIC | Records – Jazz & World JAZZ & WORLD
JAZZ ZARA MCFARLANE Arise (Brownswood) ●●●●● WORLD ABATWA Why Did We Stop Growing Tall? (Glitterbeat) ●●●●●
On her third album, British singer Zara McFarlane continues her exploration of jazz and African-Caribbean music, aided by producer-drummer Moses Boyd, saxophonist Binker Golding, and man-of-the-moment Shabaka Hutchings. Arise opens with the hand drums and horns ‘Ode To Kumina’, a short tribute to the kumina tradition brought to Jamaica by indentured workers from the Congo. McFarlane’s honeyed vocals contrast with Goldings’ gutsy saxophone on ‘Pride’. Her style is more poised on the luscious reggae of ‘Fussin’ and Fightin’ and the Latin inflected nu-soul of ‘Peace Begins Within’. Hutchings contributes clarinet to the reflective ‘Silhouette’, tootling sensitively over shimmering organ and graceful piano. McFarlane follows up her 2012 cover of Junior Murvin’s ‘Police & Thieves’ with a stately take on the Congos’ roots reggae masterpiece ‘Fisherman’. Rather than attempt to recreate the original’s otherworldly rasta vibes, McFarlane recasts it as dubwise gospel. A classy celebration of black British music. The fourth entry in Glitterbeat’s excellent Hidden Musics series documents the music of Rwanda’s marginalised Abatwa (‘pygmy’) people. There’s some wonderful material played on traditional instruments, not least the beautiful ‘Ihorere (Stop Crying Now)’, where husband and wife duo Emmanuel Habumuremy and Ange Kamagaju sing modal counter-melodies over resonant plucks of the 11-string icyembe harp, but it’s the electronic tracks which are particularly startling. ‘Umwana W’umuhanda (The Child From The Streets)’, by 19-year-old rapper Rosine Nyiramfumukoye is an absolute mind-melter, as she spits her nimble rhymes in a tough, slightly sing-song voice over syncopated electronic crackles. Then there’s ‘Sida Ni Mibi (AIDS is Bad)’, where Christoph Ntabanganyimana and Bihoyiki Dathive chatter intensely against fuzzy glitch loops. The Abatwa musicians’ secret weapon is the Stylophone Beatbox, a battery- operated synth/drum machine/looper from which they coax inspired DIY beats.
JAZZ ROSCOE MITCHELL Bells For The South Side (ECM) ●●●●● WORLD MERIDIAN BROTHERS Dónde Estás María? (Soundway) ●●●●●
The master reedist and composer Roscoe Mitchell pays tribute to his home town of Chicago on this stunning double album. Featuring four trios ‘contrasted and combined’, Bells for the Southside runs the gamut of Mitchell’s compositional interests, from pensive explorations of tonality and space, to uncanny electronic textures, and radical visions of jazz. Percussion is the unifying element, from the sleigh bells that bring an element of dance to the ruminative piano clusters of ‘Spatial Aspects of Sound’, to the clattering roto-toms and timpani of ‘Panoply’. Tyshawn Sorey plays Mitchell’s percussion cage on the title track, illuminating a deep indigo backdrop of bowed bass and electronics, while Kikanju Baku goes gangbusters on the trap kit for the avant-jazz of ‘Dancing in the Canyon’. The epic ‘Red Moon in the Sky/Odwalla’ moves through electro- acoustic nocturnes and clamorous abstraction before sending us off with a warm jazz embrace. A work of genius. On Dónde Estás María?, Colombia’s Meridian Brothers dial back on the kitchen sink hyperactivity of their earlier albums to work with a clearly defined tonal palette in which cello, percussion and electronics dominate. Deft touches of synth and fuzz guitar cut across breezy string parts that recall Brazilian Tropicalia. Mastermind Eblis Álvarez marries these finely honed arrangements to some of his sharpest songwriting, resulting in the group’s most accessible album to date. Álvarez takes us on a tour of South American genres and traditions, but rather than mush them together in an insipid fusion, he retains their distinctive character, giving them a contemporary upgrade through a seamless blend of acoustic percussion, electronic beats and effects. ‘Él No Está Muerto’ offers a woozy take on the staggered rhythm of Quechuan huayno, while ‘Hablame Amigo, Citadino’ gives us a freaky psychedelic take on reggaeton. Inspired experimental pop. (All reviews by Stewart Smith)
EXPOSURE SISTER JOHN
They were once described as ‘what the Velvet Underground would have sounded like if Lou Reed had been writing for Vashti Bunyan rather than Nico’. Sister John, Glasgow’s folk-country four-piece, are also influenced by Neil Young and by the effects integrating strings into their work can have. We caught up with singer- songwriter / guitarist Amanda McKeown to chat about pals, community and their debut album
On their origins Sister John came together as a vehicle for songs I wrote. The first gig we ever had was when I was asked to play at a local night at the Tron Theatre. Rather than go and do that myself, I put the band together. We stuck with it because the sound really clicked. The songs are very much from my head; I bring them to the group and we arrange them together.
On Glasgow’s music communities Glasgow’s a really exciting place to be. It’s difficult to identify one particular scene, as there’s so much going on. Being involved with [record label] Last Night From Glasgow has been special, because they’re something quite unique. The networks and opportunities for people to play and collaborate are never-ending, and every day I discover someone I’ve not heard of. On their peers Stephen Solo has been making music for years, but in his current guise he’s releasing a record which he’s recorded on his
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iPhone. He’s really experimental and interesting with a pop touch, as well as being lyrically interesting. I find him quite inspiring. On their upcoming debut album Returned from Sea has a lot of themes – water, rain, rivers, seas and tides – that I hadn’t thought of while I was writing it. Side one of the record is quite a disruptive sound. I see it as a journey through the
album. Side two has a slightly different feel; it’s a bit more reflective. There are strong themes in there, like loss and redemption and how you see yourself and people you meet along the way. (As told to Kirstyn Smith) ■ Returned from Sea is out Fri 15 Sep via Last Night From Glasgow. Sister John play the Hug and Pint, Glasgow, Thu 14 & Fri 15 Sep.