Search - Ernest Dawkins :: Jo'burg Jump

Saxophonist Ernest Dawkins's New Horizons Ensemble has deep roots in the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians (AACM) and the Chicago free-jazz movement, and they have developed rhythmically taut, open structures and a soulful, emotional directness. Dawkins's compositions emphasize tight-knit riffs, often voicing his coiling tenor and alto lines against the unison brass of trumpeter Ameen Muhammad and trombonist Steve Berry. It gives this quintet the sound of a larger band, a feeling that's enhanced by the churning polyrhythms generated by the rhythm section of bassist Yosef Ben Israel and drummer Avreeayl Ra. That group dynamic extends to the horns, who provide forceful support to one another's solos, and it adds to the surging immediacy of "Stranger," "Goldinger," and "Transcension." The leader's tenor is his primary horn, and he uses it for some gritty forays, but his wispy alto tone lends another distinct dimension to a band usually characterized by brassy declaration. Further contrasts arise between Muhammad's fiery trumpet flurries and Berry's wry bluster. There are strong African elements in the Capetown-flavored title track and "Turtle Island Dance," the latter a dense overlay of slide whistle, bamboo flutes, and hand-held percussion. Guitarist Jeff Parker (of Tortoise, Isotope 217, and Chicago Underground Trio) joins in on Berry's reflective "Shorter Suite," contributing a lithe solo and subtle harmonic shadings. --Stuart Broomer