MUSIC | Records – Jazz & World
JAZZ NAT BIRCHALL World Without Form (Sound Soul and Spirit) ●●●●●
JAZZ/EXPERIMENTAL COLIN STETSON & MATS GUSTAFSSON Stones (Rune Gramofon) ●●●●● WORLD THE CREOLE CHOIR OF CUBA Santiman (Real World) ●●●●●
WORLD BASSEKOU KOUYATE & NGONI BA Jama Ko (Out Here) ●●●●●
With track titles like ‘Divine Harmony’ and ‘Speak To Us Of Love’, and his tenor and soprano horns, English saxophonist Nat Birchall makes no secret of his love of John Coltrane. While some ‘Trane disciples focus on wilder aspects of his playing, others explore the meditative side of his deeply spiritual quest. The shimmering piano, African shakers and soulful tenor of the title track create a cosmic bliss reminiscent of Pharoah Sanders circa Thembi. Meditative doesn't necessarily mean mellow, however; in places, Birchhall doubles the rhythm section to add urgency and weight. This is particularly effective on ‘Return To Ithica’, where Birchall guides his Moorish-Spanish soprano over a driving groove. (Stewart Smith)
In the red corner, Swedish jazz heavyweight Mats Gustafsson, who has played with everyone from Sonic Youth to Neneh Cherry. In the blue, Canadian reed mangler to the stars (Tom Waits, David Byrne, Arcade Fire et al), Colin Stetson. You see how tempting the boxing metaphors are when faced with such a pairing? Yet Stones, recorded live at the 2011 Vancouver Jazz Festival, is a less bloodily pugilistic affair than such a conceit suggests. Gustafsson deploys the harsh multiphonics and gastrointestinal rumbles for which he is renowned, but never quite goes full tilt, choosing to listen carefully to Stetson’s bull-necked drones and looping birdsong phases, complementing them with tongue slaps, chatter and honk. (Stewart Smith)
Formed in the mid-90s to celebrate its members’ Haitian roots, Santiman, sees the Choir, who hail from Cuba’s Camaguey, continuing to explore resistance songs and laments of their descendants, plus humorous, upbeat numbers like ‘Camina Como Chencha’, a breezy Guaracha about a girl with bandy legs.
Their sound is quite remarkable, treating traditional folk melodies with a sophistication that is comparable in approach, if not quite sound, to Duke Ellington’s gospel suites. The arrangements for female voices in protest songs are complex, yet open enough to leave space for the soloists to ring out clear and true. The dance tunes, meanwhile, see the choir wielding cowbells and shakers in classic Cuban fashion. (Stewart Smith)
The jeli ngoni is the traditional stringed-instrument of Mande griot singers. Few play it like Kouyate, however, who runs his through a wah pedal and cranked amp, firing off overdriven pentatonic runs which recall the electric desert blues of Tinariwen or Ali Farka Touré. Deftly balanced against the beautiful acoustic tones of his band Ngoni Ba, Kouyate creates a striking future- ancient sound. Jama Ko was recorded during a
military coup that has brought terrible unrest to Mali. Kouyate’s anger is palpable in the torrential ngoni leads and urgent rhythms of ‘Ne Me Fatigue Pas’, and his sadness in the sparse acoustic lament ‘Wagadou’. peace, while ‘Poye 2’ unites African and American blues to fine effect. (Stewart Smith)
SINGLES & DOWNLOADS ALSO RELEASED
Matthew E White Big Inner (Domino) ●●●●● Roger Whittaker was famed for his whistling and Matthew E White gives equal import to the hum. The Filipino-Virginian guy’s bluesy-gospel vibe is akin to Spiritualized having got out of the right side of the bed.
Cuddly Shark The Road to Ugly (Armellodie) ●●●●● As their silly ode to tubby folks (‘Body Mass Index’) hints, life isn’t to be taken too seriously down Cuddly Shark way. But their choppy semi-punky affair soon tests the patience. John Lydon has a lot to answer for with the squawking vocals but there’s enough to hint the Highland trio might be on the road to somewhere. Indians Somewhere Else (4AD) ●●●●● And Somewhere Else is where Dane Søren Løkke Juul is off to in this ethereal collection – either airy-fairy pointlessness or full of subtle electro-folky delights depending on the shape of your ears.
Southern Tenant Folk Union Hello Cold Goodbye Sun (Johnny Rock) ●●●●● A proper old hootenanny by Edinburgh’s STFU as they urgently race through banjo and fiddle numbers. Arguably though, memorable moments are when they take the foot off the gas, especially on spine-chilly ‘Spey River’. The Bonnevilles Folk Art and the Death of Electric Jesus (Twenty Stone Blatt) ●●●●● Judging by the garish skull ’n’ bones cover and tunes discussing hell and guns, The Bonnevilles should be terrifying. But their bluesy rock is about as threatening as over- imbibing on peppermint cordial. Essential listening for anyone who thinks Jack White is a paragon of originality.
Everything Everything Arc (RCA) If JLS listened to Radiohead, this might be the result. Yes, on the cover they look like condemned human traffickers, but boy do they have some tunes. (Brian Donaldson)
Among several new tracks being released into the wild early on this year, perhaps the most surprising announcement was David Bowie’s return to action with ‘Where Are We Now?’ (●●●●●, Iso/Columbia) followed by his first album in ten years, The Next Day, in March. This single is a slow-burning nostalgia trip through retro Germany, but gets more touching – and interesting – with every listen.
Elsewhere, London-based Japanese group Bo Ningen team up with Savages’ Jehnny Beth to pipe out a scatty new version of ‘Nichijyou’ (●●●●●, Stolen Recordings) that is as confusing as it is mildly terrifying. Meanwhile Thom Yorke’s long-gestating new project Atoms for Peace finally release live favourite ‘Judge, Jury and Executioner’ (●●●●●, XL). It’s a laidback, electronic chiller, familiar enough to please Radiohead fans but ripe with otherworldly potential. (AFP’s debut album Amok will be out on 25 Feb.)
Scottish songwriter Rachel Sermanni pays her respects to Robert Burns with a tender version of ‘Ae Fond Kiss’ (●●●●●, Middle of Nowhere), to be released on – you guessed it – Burns’ Night, while Hervé – formerly ‘The Count’ with fellow DJ/producer, ‘Sinden’ – teams up with Canadian electro-goth Austra for first single ‘Save Me’ (●●●●●, Cheap Thrills). Sadly, this flaccid abuse of synths and sluggish downbeat doesn’t bode well for his forthcoming second album. Bat for Lashes (pictured) however, safely leads the charge this month and scores Single of the Month with ‘A Wall’ (●●●●●, Parlophone), the next single from her acclaimed 2012 album The Haunted Man. This melancholy cut showcases the contrast of Natasha Khan’s soft, beautiful voice and pained, brittle lyrics in entrancing fashion. (Ryan Drever) ■ Watch Bat for Lashes’ new video at http://vevo.ly/U6sFAN
78 THE LIST 24 Jan–21 Feb 2013