Kinetic

Dances Of Lake Volta

Self-Released, 2021

8/10

Listen to Dances Of Lake Volta

A very diverse outfit spearheaded by the pianist Joe Sheehan, Kinetic returns with a handful of compositions that embrace Ghanaian folk and modern jazz ideas, as they texture creatively and with much elegance.

“Dusime” starts the listen with plenty of rhythm as Anita Levels provides soaring, smooth singing to the upbeat, jazz climate that benefits much from Sheehan’s playful percussion, and “Aklie” follows with Mariko Reid’s cultured pipes meshing playfully with James Johnson III’s fluid drumming and Anthony Ambroso’s warm guitar lines.

Elsewhere, “Akoo Kofi” recruits Samual Boateng on vocals for the dreamy and melodic delivery, while “Damba Suite” brings a hand clapping beginning that leads into a world music folk song that bounces with much charm. “Another Day”, one of the album’s best, then showcases Roger Romero’s saxophone prowess and Reggie Watkins’ trombone skills as the lively energy swings with much timelessness.

Approaching the end, “Kekele” offers hypnotic piano from Sheehan that twinkles sublimely in the vocal-less landscape, and “Subo” exits the listen with Levels back on vocals, as the dynamic and rich delivery escalates into a swift platform for piano and percussion acrobatics.

A follow up to their 2018 album, Songs Of Lake Volta, Sheehan and company might be based in Pittsburgh, but their sounds span the globe, and their atypical use folk, jazz and world music makes for a very compelling and unforgettable listening experience.

Travels well with: Troy Roberts- Stuff I Heard; Marcus Strickland Twi-Life- People Of The Sun