Sarala

ハンク・ジョーンズとシェイク・ティディアン・セック&ザ・マンディンカを迎えた1999年にリリースされたアフリカ・プロジェクト作品が180g重量盤LPで登場。マンディンゴ音楽への真の熱狂を生み出し、多くの西洋音楽家がマリに行ってこの音楽の源流を探ろうとするきっかけとなった作品。

ハンク・ジョーンズ(アフリカ系アメリカ人のミュージシャンであり、同世代の中で最も才能のあるピアニストの一人)とチェイック=ティディアン・セク(マリ出身のアレンジャー、バンドリーダー、ソングライター、マルチインストゥルメンタリストとして知られる)が再会したことで生まれたこのアルバムは、2つのジャンルの精神と心の共生を実現している。この2つのジャンルは、時の流れや歴史の変動にもかかわらず、ゴスペルの源流であるマンディンゴのプレインソングという永遠のジェスチャーを継承しており、集まったミュージシャンの名人芸によって、最も現代的なサウンドにも絶え間なく適応している。

This must surely be one of the most unusual items in Hank Jones' catalog. Few people would probably associate Jones -- one of the finest pianists that jazz has ever known, and a man who has played with everyone from Charlie Parker to Tony Williams -- with contemporary Afro-pop; yet this album is an infectiously grooving example of just that, featuring the remarkably versatile pianist alongside a stellar cast of musicians from the West African nation of Mali. At first glance, the Malian pop music that is featured on this cross-cultural outing would seem to be light-years from the kind of harmonically sophisticated jazz that Jones has played throughout most of his long and distinguished career. The chord changes that ordinarily undergird Jones' elegantly constructed solos are conspicuously absent from Malian music, which derives much of its unique flavor from the complex rhythmic interplay between electric guitars, keyboards, and traditional African instruments. Nonetheless, Jones plays this material as if he were born to it. His solos, while brief, beautifully straddle the line between his own personal style and the equally distinctive sound of his Malian bandmates; and his lines mesh perfectly with the mesmerizing rhythmic accompaniment provided by the rest of the ensemble. And quite an ensemble it is; some of the biggest names in Malian pop are featured on this album under the direction of leader Cheick-Tidiane Seck, and traditional instruments like the n'goni lute and balafon xylophone are given plenty of solo space. In addition, every track features a traditional Malian praise-song delivered by a powerful lead vocalist and a full complement of backup singers. An unlikely partnership, perhaps, but one that yields extraordinary results. ~ Alexander Gelfand