Search - Lester Bowie :: American Gumbo

The cover of this two-CD set, which depicts Lester Bowie smiling broadly and wearing chef's garb, serves notice that when the trumpeter recorded the two albums reissued here he was eager to cook and up for a laugh. Bowie's take on the "St. Louis Blues" recalls his work with the Art Ensemble of Chicago--it's so satirical that it's surreal. And one can hardly suppress a smile when the bugling Bowie gallops into town astride three drummers on "F Troop Rides Again." But humor never precludes turning up the heat--"Banana Whistle" is a bracing foray into carefully orchestrated chaos. Several tunes pay homage to Bowie's inspirations. "Rope-a-Dope" evokes Muhammad Ali's fancy footwork and lightning-quick punches with illustrative percussion flourishes, while the immaculate horn charts of "Lonely Woman" render tribute to Duke Ellington and Ornette Coleman simultaneously. The most personal moment comes on "Hello Dolly"; Bowie honors Louis Armstrong, himself no slouch at mixing art and entertainment, using his own uniquely expressive instrumental language. --Bill Meyer