Pan Africa
Impact, 2023
8/10
The trumpet wizard Derrick Gardner is in fine company here, as The Jazz Prophets join him for this listen that pays homage to his ancestors via sounds stemming from African rhythm.
“Djemba Kan” starts the listen with Kweku Sumbry’s swift and precise drumming, and this segues right into “Appointment In Ghana”, where the bright brass enters alongside the playful drumming that recruits a contagious energy.
Halfway through, the cultured and highly rhythmic “The Sixth Village” benefits much from Robert Dixon’s soaring sax, while “Highlife Suite” showcases Obasi Akoto’s intricate bass playing and George Caldwell’s strategic piano for the album’s best track.
Closer to the end, “NKRUMAH ‘da RULAH” is populated by lively drums, Gardner’s expressive trumpet and plenty of supporting horns that birth a dynamic and busy landscape, and “Assin Manso… The Last Bath” exits with much beauty, warmth and adventurousness in a dreamy sort of fashion.
The impetus for the record was born out of a 5 week tour of the coastal savannas of Ghana, where Gardner and The Jazz Prophets visited historical sites pertaining to the transatlantic slave trade, Ghanaian independence and the Pan African movement. This trip moved Gardner so much, it began the journey that led to this body of work that is nothing short of gripping.
Travels well with: Dave Liebman- Live At Smalls; Rodney Whitaker- Oasis