Sone Ka La 2: Odyssey

Jacques Schwarz-Bart expands his vibrant blend of Caribbean musical traditions and modern jazz with 2020s ebullient Sone Ka-La 2: Odyssey. A follow-up to 2007s equally cross-pollinated Sone Ka-La, Odyssey finds the saxophonist further refining his genre-bending sound that brings together the kinetic gwo ka percussion traditions from his native Guadeloupe with harmonically nuanced jazz. The son of Black Guadeloupean novelist Simone Schwarz-Bart and French Jewish author Andre Schwarz-Bart, he grew up in a culturally diverse atmosphere and received his first musical lessons at age six from gwo ka percussionist Anzala. Schwarz-Bart brought this broad-minded approach to his early work as a founding member of the late Roy Hargroves hip-hop jazz ensemble RH Factor, an experience that resonates throughout his work on Sone Ka-La 2. While Schwarz-Bart trades hip-hop for a more global jazz and R&B vibe, Sone Ka-La 2 still vibrates with a luminous, groove-oriented style that one could imagine appealing to Hargroves soulful, bop-informed sensibilities. These are lyrical and rhythmically infectious songs that evoke the globally-minded 70s fusion of artists like Airto and Weather Report, but with a contemporary edge. Helping to bring these grooves to life is Schwarz-Barts ensemble, featuring pianist Gregory Privat, bassist Reggie Washington, drummer Arnaud Dolmen, and gwo ka percussionist Sonny Troupe. Also lending richness is singer Malika Tirolien, whose sparkling, highly resonant voice is showcased throughout, and often in wordless tandem with Schwarz-Barts rounded saxophone lines. As with the original album, Sone Ka-La 2: Odyssey is a stylishly hypnotic experience balancing earthy jazz roots with a sleek club atmosphere. ~ Matt Collar