Search - Johnny Dyani :: Angolian Cry

Like a wise man's speech....

Matthew Watters | Vietnam | 02/24/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is an overlooked classic in the Ornette Coleman school of piano-less quartets, a lovely mixture of township voicings and Ornettian freedom. Dyani was one of the most creative (and muscular) bassists after Mingus, and here he leads a quartet that features a front line of Danish-Congolese tenor John Tchicai, who always adopted a choice musical version of a wise man's speech -- saying as much as possible in as few notes and leaving you hungry to hear more -- and trumpeter Harry Beckett, who comes from the township but occasionally squeals into the beyond. That pretty much sums up this record, joyful and relaxed themes with African voicings, that periodically erupt into four-way free improvisation. (Drummer Billy Hart fills out the square, with verve.) Angolian Cry isn't as intense as Dyani's classic Song for Biko (where Dudo Pukwana really burned down the house and Don Cherry was along for the fireworks), but that's part of the charm of this record. Angolian Cry takes the time, and space, to weave its wistful spell."