Kemet (The Black Land)
Outside In, 2023
9/10
Listen to Kemet (The Black Land)
The trombonist, composer, educator and arrangers Dr. Javier Nero pens an exiting sophomore album, where the themes of Kemet, the ancient Egyptian, progressive black civilization, is fleshed out with many players on brass and a particularly luminous rhythm section.
“The Blues Reincarnated” opens the listen with Luke Brimhall’s bright trombone and Josh Richman’s expressive piano helping make for a rich, dynamic display of lively jazz sounds, and “Time” follows with Ben Patterson’s meticulous trombone and William Ledbetter’s animated bass playing that illuminates the animated drumming from Kyle Swan.
Further along, “Nostalgic Haiku” finds a calmer place to reside, where James Collins’ cozy piano and Fran Vielma’s well timed percussion makes for a dreamy climate, while the title track benefits much from Nero’s wordless singing and textured brass.
Closer to the end, “One Day”, the album’s best, blends Regan Brough’s sublime bass and Ben Bokor’s airy flute via the cinematic qualities, and “Jam #3 (In C# Minor)” brings both adventurous and reflective ideas into the swirling, mesmerizing atmosphere.
A listen that spans conflict, freedom, yearning and contemplation, you can tell a lot of work went into this listen, and it certainly resonates long after the music stops.
Travels well with: Septology- The Black Forest Session; Scott Peptito- Many Worlds