This really should not have occurred
S. Hawkins | New York, NY | 03/08/2005
(2 out of 5 stars)
"The CD has a couple interesting remixes. DJ Spooky's "Mindif," and Christian Prommer's "Sweet Samba" are both good, and Kinderzimmer Productions "Blues for a Hip King" is worth hearing perhaps once.
Otherwise, the remixes are at best a little dull, at worst outright blasphemous. Abdullah's original voice is often completely lost, and much of what makes his music so unique and wonderful is completely gone throughout most of the CD."
Please don't expect a seamless evocation of classic Ibrahim
Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 04/08/2005
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Otherwise, you're going to be majorly disappointed.
No, this is not The Next Great Thing in music. Yes, the entire remix aesthetic is suspect, per se. But let's at least not rush to judgment.
To my ears, there's something quite interesting happening here: a new generation offering its take on a jazz master. So what if it doesn't all work optimally? Isn't it worth the effort if at least a few things (quite a few, in my humble opinion) work quite well? Personally, I'm quite taken by "Calypso Minor," which not only retains quite a bit of the original loose groove, but also adds a kind of neo-hipsterism entirely apropos of the established vibe. And the next cut, "Did You Hear That Sound," completely appropriately nails the Afro-Mysterioso vibe that suffuses the original, all the while adding an expanded soundscape entirely apposite to the original.
No, these guys don't slavishly adhere to some kind of Ibrahim idolatry--and that's what's maybe gotten some folks a little hacked off; instead, there's generally a rather personal, not to say idiosyncratic, take on these venerable materials.
I admit, it took me more than a few listens to begin to get on board with the, admittedly, weird aesthetic going down here. But you know what? I'm really glad I stuck with it, because the more I listen to this stuff, the more I'm a fan.
Certainly not for everyone, but for anyone who's not afraid to explore the somewhat blurred lines separating electronica from jazz."
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1