A genuine threat to Ibrahim's lack of recognition and fame
Eric C. Sedensky | Madison, AL, US | 05/01/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I'm ashamed to admit it, but until just a few months ago, I'd only ever heard of Abdullah Ibrahim in passing and I didn't own any of his recordings. This work was getting a lot of play time on satellite radio (the song "Mandela") and every time I heard it, I liked it more and more. So when I started my jazz arranging course at the local college, I felt this would be a good choice of a big band recording to supplement my study. I was not wrong. This is probably the single best big band recording made in the last twenty years. Ibrahim's arrangements are inspiring, and intricate, and they can be lively or haunting or something in between - whatever the song calls for. The playing of the WDR Big Band Cologne is top notch, from the solid swinging bass foundation of John Goldsby, to the clear ringing piccolo of Karolina Strassmeyer. Throw in the classically bluesy piano of Ibrahim, and like I said in my jazz blog, "If you could hear the sound of energy, this is what it would sound like." Simply put, there are no bad tracks on this work. While any fan of jazz is sure to appreciate this recording, any fan of big band and swing music will become an Ibrahim/WDR devotee in no time by track four, I promise. And if you're a piano or classic jazz fan, you'll probably also want to check out some of Ibrahim's earlier work, such as Yarona. This guy's music is simply some of the best music being made today, and I believe that Bombella will assure that Ibrahim's star is rising and more and more people who should have heard of him a long time ago, will.
"
Track Listings (10) - Disc #1