Born in 1951 in Tokyo, Midori Takada is a classically-trained composer and percussionist who was also influenced early on by free jazz, ambient and experimental music. The artist studied western minimalism while exploring African percussion traditions with musicians from Ghana, Senegal and Burkina Faso as well as Asian music ... [Continue Reading]
drums
Hidden Orchestra: Archipelago
Traditional jazz drummers are usually only given a few bars to shine, and consequently these short solos are bursting with brilliant ideas and glimpses of pure rhythmic feel. I began to isolate and reprogram fragments of these rhythmic gems […] read the cover notes to Hidden Orchestra’s first record [amazon text=Night ... [Continue Reading]
Brad Mehldau & Mark Guiliana: Hungry ghost
American pianist Brad Mehldau and drummer Mark Guiliana have just released [amazon text=Mehliana: Taming the dragon&asin=B00GULA0TY], a fantastic electric duo recording for the Nonesuch record label. With Brad Mehldau on synthesisers, Fender Rhodes and piano and Mark Guiliana on drums and electronics, the pair generate a ... [Continue Reading]
Jan Garbarek: Knot of place and time
Norwegian saxophonist Jan Garbarek released the marvellous [amazon text=In Praise of Dreams&asin=B0002IVZ2W] in 2004. More than a solo recording, the whole album works as a conversation between himself, American/Armenian violist Kim Kashkashian and frequent collaborator French/Ivorian drummer Manu Katché. Underpinned by ... [Continue Reading]
Food: Moonpie
Food is an experimental jazz group formed in 1998 by Norwegian drummer and composer Thomas Strønen and UK saxophone player Iain Ballamy. Food originally recorded four albums as a quartet which included Norwegian musicians Arve Henriksen (trumpet/vocals) and Mats Eilertsen (double bass). Since 2006, the group reverted to its core ... [Continue Reading]
Jack DeJohnette & Foday Musa Suso: Ocean wave
Between 2003 and 2005, innovative Gambian kora player Foday Musa Suso and legendary jazz drummer Jack DeJohnette toured together and recorded [amazon text=Music from the hearts of the masters&asin=B000MRP3JY] (2005), a wonderful collaboration between two genuine masters of their respective instruments. The kora is a ... [Continue Reading]
