Ashanti
Jojo, 2022
8/10
The bassist and composer Santi DeBriano taps into West African Language for this 8th record as leader, and with his Arkestra Bembe at his side, the 10 songs celebrate food, drink, dance and music.
“Angel Heart” opens the listen with much warmth, where playful bass is complemented by soulful sax and Robby Ameen’s agile drumming, and “Ashanti” follows with Mamiko Watanabe’s fluid piano amid the bright brass and strategic bass lines.
At the halfway point, the intimate “Till Then” swirls with much care in the dynamic jazz landscape, while the aptly titled “Spunky” benefits much from Adrian Alvarado’s precise guitar alongside the animated horns.
“Mr. Monk” and “Portrait” exit the listen, where the former is both firm and cautious, with the stunning rhythm section making this the album’s best, and the latter offers a platform for DeBriano’s stunning bass plucking to shine.
A truly collaborative effort that really does illuminate TK Blue (alto sax), Tommy Morimoto (tenor sax), Ray Sero (baritone sax) and Emile Turner (trumpet), there’s much culture, imagination and timelessness to be enjoyed.
Travels well with: Rodney Whitaker- Oasis; Harvie S and Roni Ben-Hur with Sylvia Cuenca- Wondering