Jamal, Khan Creative Arts Ensemble, The – “Drumdance to The Motherland ” – [Eremite]

Max Level   11/19/2006   CD, Jazz

Re-issue of a 1972 LP, originally released on 300 long gone copies, and since then highly sought after by jazz freaks. Vibes, marimba, guitar, bass, two drummers, and occasional clarinets are playing spacey jazz, live at a basement club in Philadelphia. The special effects (dub-style mixing with echo and reverb) were added by the sound engineer during the performance. #1 is a soundscape full of echoing drums and wind chimes. #2 starts with raw, flailing clarinets, then drops into a cool marimba workout, backed by killer rhythm throughout. #3 has gently grooving bass and guitar lines holding it down while clarinets and percussion sounds hover and dart nearby; I love the way the vibes slide in and the drums pick up steam about halfway through. #4 sort of comes and goes in a pleasantly meandering way. This music reminds me of some of the things Arthur Doyle has been up to with his Electro-Acoustic Ensemble in recent years. If you’re into Head Jazz, here’s a historic document for you.