David Murray Gwotet CD - Import

David Murray: David Murray (tenor saxophone); Christian Laviso (vocals, guitar); Klod Kiavue (vocals, drums); Francois Ladrezeau (vocals, drum); Herve Samb (guitar); Angel Ballester Veliz (flute, alto saxophone); Moises Marquez Leyva (baritone saxophone); Alexander Brown, Carlos Sonduy Dimet, Elpidio Chappotin Delgado (trumpet); Leonardo Garcia Alarcon (trombone); Jaribu Shahid (double bass, bass guitar); Hamid Drake (drums).
Additional personnel: Pharoah Sanders (tenor saxophone).
Tenor saxophonist David Murray & the Gwo-Ka Masters mix together aspects of jazz with African rhythms (propelled by both Klod Kiavue and Hamid Drake on drums), occasional group vocals, a flexible horn section, and Christian Laviso's distinctive guitar. Most intriguing is the opportunity to hear both Murray and Pharoah Sanders taking raging solos over catchy but unpredictable grooves. Freed from playing jazz standards or very free improvisations, Murray really thrives in this exotic setting, which was inspired by his move to France. "Gwotet," "Ouagadougou," and "Djolla Feeling" are high points, but there are no slow moments during the infectious set of danceable but somewhat unclassifiable music. ~ Scott YanowDown Beat (p.66) - 4 stars out of 5 - "[Sanders] now builds his solos logically and excitingly....GWOTET holds loads of fire..."
JazzTimes (pp.119-20) - "The integration of the Caribbean island's indigenous music and instrumentation with American jazz and funk results in intoxicating grooves, itchy polyrhythms, ebullient chants, rich melodies and explosive improvisations."