Search - Ronald Shannon Jackson :: What Spirit Say

Wierd funk fest

greg taylor | Portland, Oregon United States | 04/11/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is a delightful band. It includes Jef Lee Johnson on guitar, the great James Carter on the tenor and soprano saxophone, Ngolle Pokossi on the bass and, of course, Mr. Jackson on the drums. Martin Atangana also plays guitar on "Serenade for Musicians". The CD was recorded in NYC in December of 1994.
These guys are at one and the same time playing music that rocks, is soulful, is funky and is melodically twisted. If you are knowledgeable enough about jazz to be looking at a Ronald Shannon Jackson album you probably know who James Carter is and how good he is but you may not be familiar with Jef Lee Johnson. He is one of the most interesting guitarists currently out there and I only wish he had more stuff recorded under his own name with major labels. He sounds a little bit like James Ulmer maybe a little bit more fluid.
In any case, this whole album is a delight. Jackson is his normal self throughout- a powerful yet very musical drummer. His compositions are varied, sound like they would really be fun to play and are kinda hummable in a wierd sort of way. All the songs are by him except for Front Seat Frisco which is by Carter and, of course, Now's The Time is by Charles Parker.
Like much of the stuff that has come out on DWI (David Murray's The Tip or the Music Revelation Ensemble or the Original Phalanx) this is music that defies easy categorization yet is very much worth a listen. If you try it out and don't like it just write me a nasty letter. If you do like it, check out the further works of Mr. Jackson."