Roswell Rudd on tour in Africa

[slide_advantage_redoux]

I just got a nice card from Roswell. He tells me that he is going to be playing at a jazz festival in Timbuctu (western spelling). The group is 3 tbns, bass and drums.....Oh I wish I was one of the other 2 trombones! (one of them is Steve Swell, whom I need to check out)

I think it is great that after such a long time buried in relative obscurity playing "dixieland" in the Catskills, Rudd has returned to the scene. He is popping up all over the place!

Speaking of that, there is a great chapter discussing this period of his life in Francis Davis' book "Bebop and Nothingness" (I like this book, and I have seen it in local half-price book stores going for as low as a dollar!)

Edited January 4, 2004 by slide_advantage_redoux

[brownie]

So nice to see Roswell Rudd get some overdue recognition.

On a previous trip to Africa (his first one in 2000), Rudd recorded a very impressive album 'MaliCool' that was released in the Soundscape Series by Universal France. This was recorded in Bamako, Mali, with local musicians including local hero Toumani Diabate.

A genuine musical adventure worth cheking!

[brownie]

The New York Times has a review in its Wednesday edition of a Roswell Rudd appearance with Mamadou Diabate in Brooklyn last weekend:

When Cultures' Sounds Don't Match, but Echo

By KELEFA SANNEH

How do you tune a balafon? At an engrossing concert at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn on Friday night,      the trombonist Roswell Rudd gave the answer: you don't.

The balafon is a wooden West African instrument that resembles a xylophone, and every balafon produces a slightly different set of notes. So the members of Mr. Rudd's hybrid band made sure their instruments matched Balla Kouyate's balafon. The only way to stay in tune was to be slightly out of tune.

The concert grew out of a 2002 CD called, "MALIcool" (Sunnyside/Universal), a collaboration between Mr. Rudd and the Malian kora player Toumani Diabate. (The kora is a 21-string instrument with a long neck.) For the current tour, Toumani Diabate has been replaced by another kora virtuoso, his cousin Mamadou Diabate, but the spirit remained the same. Mr. Rudd and his bandmates explored a world of musical assonance, where instruments echoed one another without quite falling into lockstep.

Mr. Rudd sometimes amused Mr. Diabate and Mr. Kouyate by unleashing wildly off-kilter trombone slides. When he swung his instrument while emitting long warping notes, he looked and sounded like a drunken elephant. Other times Mr. Rudd just sat back and watched, swaying in time to the swinging polyrhythms.

During the CD's title track, Mr. Rudd's graceful solo got a prickly but no less graceful response from Mr. Kouyate. Mr. Rudd directed the musicians with vigorous gestures (a cross between conducting and air guitar), then the

musicians hit the penultimate note together, with Mr. Rudd balancing on one foot. After a split second of silence, his other foot hit the stage with a faint thud.

All night long Mr. Diabate unleashed dense, dazzling riffs on his kora, which sounds a bit like a harpsichord. On the album Toumani Diabate found subtle ways to echo jazz harmonies, but Mamadou Diabate's style is more strident. During "All Through the Night," a Welsh folk song featuring the singer Nora York, he took the stately tune in a new direction with a zigzagging solo full of unexpected clusters of notes.

There were times when the overlapping rhythms and laissez-faire arrangements devolved into a multicultural muddle. But more often the musicians' curiosity was contagious, especially during a version of Thelonious Monk's "Jackie-ing," where Mr. Diabate and Mr. Kouyate delighted in Monk's lopsided melody.

At the beginning of the second set, Mr. Diabate took the microphone to say something about the universal language of music. "We are all eunuch," he said, and a murmur arose. But then he continued, explaining that everyone is different, and people realized that they had misheard him.

[king ubu]

Picked up "MALIcool" two days ago, and listened to it twice. Love it!

This is a great album, everything works, and Rudd is in finest fettle, playing somewhat subdued due to the surroundings (he would be too loud for the Malinese musicians, otherwise), but always beautiful, and with a very nice sound!

ubu

[jlhoots]

He's playing in Albuquerque in a duo with guitarist Duck Baker on March 28th.

Hope they do some Herbie Nichols tunes.

[shrugs]

So nice to see Roswell Rudd get some overdue recognition.

On a previous trip to Africa (his first one in 2000), Rudd recorded a very impressive album 'MaliCool' that was released in the Soundscape Series by Universal France.  This was recorded in Bamako, Mali, with local musicians including local hero Toumani Diabate.

A genuine musical adventure worth cheking!

I had the pleasure of hearing Rudd play with Archie Shepp, Reggie Workman and Andrew Cyrille last weekend. They played Malicool and it was great to hear Workman and Cyrille provide the rhythm. Quite a contrast to the time I heard the Lacy Quaret with Rudd, JJ Avenal and John Betsch. That time it had a different feel. No complaints though!

Edited March 18, 2004 by shrugs

[kh1958]

Picked up "MALIcool" two days ago, and listened to it twice. Love it!

This is a great album, everything works, and Rudd is in finest fettle, playing somewhat subdued due to the surroundings (he would be too loud for the Malinese musicians, otherwise), but always beautiful, and with a very nice sound!

ubu

I picked this one up at the Tower liquidation sale--it's very nice. What a beautiful fusion of jazz and the music of Mali.

[king ubu]

Picked up "MALIcool" two days ago, and listened to it twice. Love it!

This is a great album, everything works, and Rudd is in finest fettle, playing somewhat subdued due to the surroundings (he would be too loud for the Malinese musicians, otherwise), but always beautiful, and with a very nice sound!

ubu

I picked this one up at the Tower liquidation sale--it's very nice. What a beautiful fusion of jazz and the music of Mali.

Good to hear that! If you want to continue on the journey in Malian music, check out Ali Farka Toure's last album, it's magnificient - no jazz content (although Pee Wee Ellis plays a bit of sax backings on some songs), but if you like blues, you shall enjoy it!

[kh1958]

Picked up "MALIcool" two days ago, and listened to it twice. Love it!

This is a great album, everything works, and Rudd is in finest fettle, playing somewhat subdued due to the surroundings (he would be too loud for the Malinese musicians, otherwise), but always beautiful, and with a very nice sound!

ubu

I picked this one up at the Tower liquidation sale--it's very nice. What a beautiful fusion of jazz and the music of Mali.

Good to hear that! If you want to continue on the journey in Malian music, check out Ali Farka Toure's last album, it's magnificient - no jazz content (although Pee Wee Ellis plays a bit of sax backings on some songs), but if you like blues, you shall enjoy it!

I have a small collection of music from Mali without jazz content--recordings by Salif Keita, Habib Koite, Zani Diabate, Ali Farka Toure, and Boubacar Traore. (Please correct me if I have misattributed an artist to Mali in any case.)

Boubacar is my favorite, what an incredible accoustic guitarist.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

How do you tune a balafon? At an engrossing concert at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn on Friday night,      the trombonist Roswell Rudd gave the answer: you don't.

The balafon is a wooden West African instrument that resembles a xylophone, and every balafon produces a slightly different set of notes. So the members of Mr. Rudd's hybrid band made sure their instruments matched Balla Kouyate's balafon. The only way to stay in tune was to be slightly out of tune.

Now isn't that interesting! When I was in West Africa once, I was taken, by a kora player, to the workshop of a bala maker. I was astounded when I ran a mallet up the keyboard that it played a western scale. Or at least, what sounded to me like that - I definitely DON'T have perfect pitch! I assumed they were all like that, but obviously, that ain't so.

MG

[king ubu]

How do you tune a balafon? At an engrossing concert at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn on Friday night,      the trombonist Roswell Rudd gave the answer: you don't.

The balafon is a wooden West African instrument that resembles a xylophone, and every balafon produces a slightly different set of notes. So the members of Mr. Rudd's hybrid band made sure their instruments matched Balla Kouyate's balafon. The only way to stay in tune was to be slightly out of tune.

Now isn't that interesting! When I was in West Africa once, I was taken, by a kora player, to the workshop of a bala maker. I was astounded when I ran a mallet up the keyboard that it played a western scale. Or at least, what sounded to me like that - I definitely DON'T have perfect pitch! I assumed they were all like that, but obviously, that ain't so.

MG

I just recently read in Songlines (thank you very, very much to those who recommended that to me, back in October or so!) that by now some balafon players were starting to use two balafons, one representing the white keys of the piano, one the black keys, so they can play chromatically, too, and do different scales.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

How do you tune a balafon? At an engrossing concert at St. Ann's Warehouse in Brooklyn on Friday night,      the trombonist Roswell Rudd gave the answer: you don't.

The balafon is a wooden West African instrument that resembles a xylophone, and every balafon produces a slightly different set of notes. So the members of Mr. Rudd's hybrid band made sure their instruments matched Balla Kouyate's balafon. The only way to stay in tune was to be slightly out of tune.

Now isn't that interesting! When I was in West Africa once, I was taken, by a kora player, to the workshop of a bala maker. I was astounded when I ran a mallet up the keyboard that it played a western scale. Or at least, what sounded to me like that - I definitely DON'T have perfect pitch! I assumed they were all like that, but obviously, that ain't so.

MG

I just recently read in Songlines (thank you very, very much to those who recommended that to me, back in October or so!) that by now some balafon players were starting to use two balafons, one representing the white keys of the piano, one the black keys, so they can play chromatically, too, and do different scales.

Oh, very neat! Thanks for that Ubu.

MG

[king ubu]

That bit of info also confirms your perception of the balafon traditionally being tuned more or less like a normal Major scale, I assume (although I just read it how I posted it, if memory serves me right).

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

That bit of info also confirms your perception of the balafon traditionally being tuned more or less like a normal Major scale, I assume (although I just read it how I posted it, if memory serves me right).

Ah, yes - if it had been tuned to a minor scale, I probably wouldn't have recognised that.

MG

[king ubu]

That bit of info also confirms your perception of the balafon traditionally being tuned more or less like a normal Major scale, I assume (although I just read it how I posted it, if memory serves me right).

Ah, yes - if it had been tuned to a minor scale, I probably wouldn't have recognised that.

MG

[king ubu]

...

I have a small collection of music from Mali without jazz content--recordings by Salif Keita, Habib Koite, Zani Diabate, Ali Farka Toure, and Boubacar Traore. (Please correct me if I have misattributed an artist to Mali in any case.)

Boubacar is my favorite, what an incredible accoustic guitarist.

Your collection is larger than mine, in that case... I'm just only getting into it!

[kh1958]

...

I have a small collection of music from Mali without jazz content--recordings by Salif Keita, Habib Koite, Zani Diabate, Ali Farka Toure, and Boubacar Traore. (Please correct me if I have misattributed an artist to Mali in any case.)

Boubacar is my favorite, what an incredible accoustic guitarist.

Your collection is larger than mine, in that case... I'm just only getting into it!

This one is really good.

http://www.amazon.com/Kar-Boubacar-Traor/d...5315837-0791254

[Д.Д.]

...

I have a small collection of music from Mali without jazz content--recordings by Salif Keita, Habib Koite, Zani Diabate, Ali Farka Toure, and Boubacar Traore. (Please correct me if I have misattributed an artist to Mali in any case.)

Boubacar is my favorite, what an incredible accoustic guitarist.

Your collection is larger than mine, in that case... I'm just only getting into it!

This one is really good.

http://www.amazon.com/Kar-Boubacar-Traor/d...5315837-0791254

Since you are at it, check this beautiful disc by Rokia Traoré out: http://www.amazon.com/Wanita-Rokia-Traor%C...TF8&s=music

For kora, this one by Toumani Diabate: http://www.amazon.com/Kaira-Toumani-Diabat...TF8&s=music and this one by Ballaké Sissoko: http://www.amazon.com/Deli-Ballak%C3%A9-Si...TF8&s=music are great.

My favorite disc of West African music is a masterpiece by Jali Musa Jawara titled "Yasimika", sadly OOP: http://www.amazon.com/Yasimika-Jali-Musa-J...TF8&s=music

This looks like a good compilation of West African music: http://www.amazon.com/Rough-Guide-Music-Ma...TF8&s=music

Get some good West African music (thankfully, quite a bit is easily avilable these days) and throw this Rudd's "Malikool" nonsense away.

Edited January 15, 2007 by Д.Д.

[king ubu]

Thank you for these recommendations, David, I took a note!

As you know, not everybody here considers Rudd a one-trick-pony, so not everyone will throw MALIcool away, sorry! Good to see you here again!

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

...

I have a small collection of music from Mali without jazz content--recordings by Salif Keita, Habib Koite, Zani Diabate, Ali Farka Toure, and Boubacar Traore. (Please correct me if I have misattributed an artist to Mali in any case.)

Boubacar is my favorite, what an incredible accoustic guitarist.

Your collection is larger than mine, in that case... I'm just only getting into it!

This one is really good.

http://www.amazon.com/Kar-Boubacar-Traor/d...5315837-0791254

Since you are at it, check this beautiful disc by Rokia Traoré out: http://www.amazon.com/Wanita-Rokia-Traor%C...TF8&s=music

For kora, this one by Toumani Diabate: http://www.amazon.com/Kaira-Toumani-Diabat...TF8&s=music and this one by Ballaké Sissoko: http://www.amazon.com/Deli-Ballak%C3%A9-Si...TF8&s=music are great.

My favorite disc of West African music is a masterpiece by Jali Musa Jawara titled "Yasimika", sadly OOP: http://www.amazon.com/Yasimika-Jali-Musa-J...TF8&s=music

This looks like a good compilation of West African music: http://www.amazon.com/Rough-Guide-Music-Ma...TF8&s=music

Get some good West African music (thankfully, quite a bit is easily avilable these days) and throw this Rudd's "Malikool" nonsense away.

If you like Djeli Moussa Diawara's "Yasimika", you'll like these other albums he has out in France.

http://www.amazon.fr/s/ref=nb_ss_m/171-389...=11&Go.y=10

Note Jali Musa Jawara and Djeli Moussa Diawara are the English and French ways of spelling the same name. It makes searching for his records just that little bit more irritating

I think Diawara has done more than anyone to develop the use of the kora in contemporary Guinean pop music. I love his stuff.

MG

[Д.Д.]

...

I have a small collection of music from Mali without jazz content--recordings by Salif Keita, Habib Koite, Zani Diabate, Ali Farka Toure, and Boubacar Traore. (Please correct me if I have misattributed an artist to Mali in any case.)

Boubacar is my favorite, what an incredible accoustic guitarist.

Your collection is larger than mine, in that case... I'm just only getting into it!

This one is really good.

http://www.amazon.com/Kar-Boubacar-Traor/d...5315837-0791254

Since you are at it, check this beautiful disc by Rokia Traoré out: http://www.amazon.com/Wanita-Rokia-Traor%C...TF8&s=music

For kora, this one by Toumani Diabate: http://www.amazon.com/Kaira-Toumani-Diabat...TF8&s=music and this one by Ballaké Sissoko: http://www.amazon.com/Deli-Ballak%C3%A9-Si...TF8&s=music are great.

My favorite disc of West African music is a masterpiece by Jali Musa Jawara titled "Yasimika", sadly OOP: http://www.amazon.com/Yasimika-Jali-Musa-J...TF8&s=music

This looks like a good compilation of West African music: http://www.amazon.com/Rough-Guide-Music-Ma...TF8&s=music

Get some good West African music (thankfully, quite a bit is easily avilable these days) and throw this Rudd's "Malikool" nonsense away.

If you like Djeli Moussa Diawara's "Yasimika", you'll like these other albums he has out in France.

http://www.amazon.fr/s/ref=nb_ss_m/171-389...=11&Go.y=10

Note Jali Musa Jawara and Djeli Moussa Diawara are the English and French ways of spelling the same name. It makes searching for his records just that little bit more irritating

I think Diawara has done more than anyone to develop the use of the kora in contemporary Guinean pop music. I love his stuff.

MG

I have most of those, as well as (mediocre) Kora Jazz Trio - none is even close to "Yasimika".

I guess I will just write an e-mail to Rykodisc pleading to reissue it.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

...

I have a small collection of music from Mali without jazz content--recordings by Salif Keita, Habib Koite, Zani Diabate, Ali Farka Toure, and Boubacar Traore. (Please correct me if I have misattributed an artist to Mali in any case.)

Boubacar is my favorite, what an incredible accoustic guitarist.

Your collection is larger than mine, in that case... I'm just only getting into it!

This one is really good.

http://www.amazon.com/Kar-Boubacar-Traor/d...5315837-0791254

Since you are at it, check this beautiful disc by Rokia Traoré out: http://www.amazon.com/Wanita-Rokia-Traor%C...TF8&s=music

For kora, this one by Toumani Diabate: http://www.amazon.com/Kaira-Toumani-Diabat...TF8&s=music and this one by Ballaké Sissoko: http://www.amazon.com/Deli-Ballak%C3%A9-Si...TF8&s=music are great.

My favorite disc of West African music is a masterpiece by Jali Musa Jawara titled "Yasimika", sadly OOP: http://www.amazon.com/Yasimika-Jali-Musa-J...TF8&s=music

This looks like a good compilation of West African music: http://www.amazon.com/Rough-Guide-Music-Ma...TF8&s=music

Get some good West African music (thankfully, quite a bit is easily avilable these days) and throw this Rudd's "Malikool" nonsense away.

If you like Djeli Moussa Diawara's "Yasimika", you'll like these other albums he has out in France.

http://www.amazon.fr/s/ref=nb_ss_m/171-389...=11&Go.y=10

Note Jali Musa Jawara and Djeli Moussa Diawara are the English and French ways of spelling the same name. It makes searching for his records just that little bit more irritating

I think Diawara has done more than anyone to develop the use of the kora in contemporary Guinean pop music. I love his stuff.

MG

I have most of those, as well as (mediocre) Kora Jazz Trio - none is even close to "Yasimika".

I guess I will just write an e-mail to Rykodisc pleading to reissue it.

It doesn't have to be Rykodisc. The original CD issue was in 1988 on the Go: Global label, licensed from AS productions, Abijian. My guess is that Rykodisc don't own it and anyone could reissue it. World Circuit put out Diawara's next album, "Soubindour" and may be open to suggestion on it.

MG