Open Me: A Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit

Over the last half-century, percussionist Kahil ElZabars Ethnic Heritage Ensemble has intersected elements from the historic jazz tradition with the tangled lines of heritage in Afro-Latin instruments and polyrhythms. ElZabar and EHE have found a home and recorded with Londons Spiritmuse; Open Me: A Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit is their sixth recording for the label in five years. The EHE lineup includes the spry ElZabar, trumpeter Corey Wilkes and baritone saxophonist Alex Harding. It also includes guests James Sanders on violin and viola and Ismael Ali on cello. The bandleader plays a truckload of percussion instruments in a program of redone songs from his catalog and a few covers. The opener, Miles Davis Mixolydian "All Blues" is introduced by sparse kalimba, baritone sax, and a single-syllable baritone vocal chant. Wilkes, using a stone mute, delivers the iconic vamp and begins soloing as Harding takes over the vamp. Strings frame the changes while ElZabar outlines the trumpeters and saxophonists solos in subtle yet strident ringing rhythmic riffs on kalimba and marimba. He plays a drum kit on the uptempo Afro-Latin groover "Burundi." Layered baritone saxes offer the melodic vamp, overdubbed alongside trumpet in a droning modal backdrop in a 12-bar blues motif ElZabar winds in with claves and other percussion instruments before Ali delivers a pizzicato cello solo. "The Whole World (In His Hands)" is rendered as early, pre-Thomas Dorsey African-styled gospel shot through with organic funk, call-and-response vocal chants, layers of hand drums, and ElZabar carrying it all in his voice. Hardings big horn claims the bassline on "Return of the Lost Tribe," a funk jam with killer soloing from him and Wilkes. "Hang Tuff" uses rumbling hand percussion and striated strings -- including a dazzling violin solo from Sanders -- under the horns. Their swinging theme crosses Ellington with Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou. While "Can You Find a Place" is a gorgeous dirge with abundant space, eerie textures, and a mournful melody, the reworked "Great Black Music" composed for the Art Ensemble of Chicago, swaggers and swoons in a finger-popping noir blues delivered with strut. Speaking of swing, the knotty, hard bop head in McCoy Tyners "Passion Dance" staggers sax and trumpet just slightly, adding a pulse-like heft to the melody as Ali drives with hard pizzicato lines, ElZabar flails on the kit like Roy Haynes, while keeping impeccable time before the horns begin soloing at one another. Its fierce. "Ornette" is an homage to the great composer and alto saxophonist, playfully and respectfully referencing his Science Fiction and Skies of America period. On Gene McDanielss iconic anti-war anthem "Compared to What," ElZabars kalimba is buoyed first by baritone sax, then violin. His wry, moaning vocal rivals the sly passion in Les McCanns on Swiss Movement with Eddie Harris (once ElZabars employer). With Open Me, ElZabar and company celebrate 50 years: Their contribution holds firmly to the evolving jazz tradition, yet embraces the musical and cultural lineages of its historical Pan-African roots. They indelibly document the present and gaze squarely toward the future. ~ Thom Jurek