Deep, mesmeric grooves and melodic wonder arise from the meeting of these two musical forces. Foday Musa Suso, the innovative Griot and Kora master, is a tireless ambassador of African culture whose solo work and collab... more »orations with the likes of Philip Glass and Herbie Hancock are now considered classics. Jack DeJohnette, one of Jazz music's greatest drummers, has been a part of countless musical milestones from Miles Davis' Bitches Brew to last year's Grammy Nominated Out Of Towners with Keith Jarrett and Gary Peacock. These two undisputed masters of their instruments create a sublime interplay and sound that encompasses world beat, global chill, and contemporary improvised music. DeJohnette's melodic approach to the drums wonderfully complements Suso's virtuosic kora playing, creating an inspired dialogue and a thrilling listening experience.« less
Deep, mesmeric grooves and melodic wonder arise from the meeting of these two musical forces. Foday Musa Suso, the innovative Griot and Kora master, is a tireless ambassador of African culture whose solo work and collaborations with the likes of Philip Glass and Herbie Hancock are now considered classics. Jack DeJohnette, one of Jazz music's greatest drummers, has been a part of countless musical milestones from Miles Davis' Bitches Brew to last year's Grammy Nominated Out Of Towners with Keith Jarrett and Gary Peacock. These two undisputed masters of their instruments create a sublime interplay and sound that encompasses world beat, global chill, and contemporary improvised music. DeJohnette's melodic approach to the drums wonderfully complements Suso's virtuosic kora playing, creating an inspired dialogue and a thrilling listening experience.
CD Reviews
Music: The Universal Language
A. James Santella | Los Angeles | 10/05/2005
(2 out of 5 stars)
"There's a timeless quality in music that stretches from the earliest humans to the present, and around the world with a fine-tooth comb. Everyone is affected, and that's why music is oftentimes referred to as the Universal Language.
Jack DeJohnette and Foday Musa Suso experiment with native rhythms and primitive melodies that could come from any region of the globe. Their instruments, as well, can be found just about anywhere. A congenial stringed instrument alongside underlying percussive patterns allow these two veteran artists to draw from common ancestral influences as they improvise.
Pleasant in all aspects, their collaborative performance mesmerizes, soothes, and reflects a kindred spirit. However, they rely on repetitive phrases, repeating cascades, and like rhythms to express each idea, resulting in a session with little variation. Again and again, they roll out similar refrains that lull the audience toward a sleepy afternoon's pleasures.
DeJohnette's drum kit follows the norm, as he emphasizes snare drum, tom-tom and bass drum textures. His crisp articulation and supportive rhythms give the session an underlying current of thunder. Suso's harp-like lyrical catchphrases rebound against a soft layer of "warm fuzzies," giving the session its gentle perspective. Together, they drone for an hour, repeating themes that portray the becalming quality of their music.
It's one of the fundamental purposes for the creation of music: to soothe. DeJohnette and Suso achieve their goal, while the listener is left wanting a little variety.
"
MASTERS OF THEIR CRAFT !
BIG 6 | GA. | 10/20/2005
(5 out of 5 stars)
"IF YOU'VE NEVER SEEN THESE GUYS IN ACTION,YOU ARE MISSING A TREAT! ON THIS CD YOU WILL EXPERIENCE VARIETY OF EMOTIONS. ALLOW THESE MASTER MUSICIANS TO TAKE YOU ON A MUSICAL JOURNEY YOU'LL NEVER FORGET!"
Only two men
COMPUTERJAZZMAN | Cliffside Park, New Jersey United States | 03/01/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"who love playing music could make music that sounds this good. What is amazing is that there are only two instruments here, drums and the kora, a West African 21-stringed contraption that sounds sometimes like a guitar, sometimes like a harp. The music is unique, beginning with laying down a rhythm and then improvising off of it. It evolves from (deceptively) simple to extremely complex. Jack DeJohnette has always been one of my favorite drummers, and there is no disappointment on this CD. Suso is a master at his craft, as well."
A masterpiece...
Kaiser Tarafdar | texas | 04/28/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"this is a masterpiece, make no mistake about it! suso and jack are absolutely unbelievable on this brilliant collaboration yeilding some of the most hauntingly beautiful and technically brillant musical tapestry ever released... The Kora makes such fantastic sounds, like a cross between a guitar and a harp... anyone who listens to this will be an immediate convert for this music as i have become... six stars to this music of genius..."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1