AHMED أحمد — Wood Blues (review)

AHMED أحمد — Wood Blues album cover Live album · 2024 · Eclectic Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
snobb
أحمد [Ahmed] is a multinational band that plays the music of Ahmed Abdul-Malik, a NYC bassist, oudist, composer, educator and philosopher. The quartet comprises two Londoners - pianist Pat Thomas and sax player Seymour Wright, plus the Berliner double bassist Joel Grip, and the Parisian drummer Antonin Gerba. Playing together a decade or so, they never recorded a studio album, but have some documented live gigs history.

The quartet's newest live album, "Wood Blues", was recorded in Scotland at The Glue Factory in Glasgow two years ago. It contains just one song, "Wood Blues", which is almost one hour long. The original 1961 Abdul-Malik composition (titled "Oud Blues") lasts about four minutes.

The album begins with a double bass line and Thomas' piano blues from Abdul Malick's original, which very soon switches to explosive bursts of sax and piano passages. The crown all song long is shouting and screaming. This deeply bluesy-rooted music is based on repetitive constructions in which the musicians eventually return to where they started and begin the same song again in a different way.

There are a lot of melodies, jumping piano, and free sax soloing all around on this album. Very percussive by its nature, this album, even being quite free, offers quite accessible and even danceable listening. The atmosphere recalls the early 60s free jazz concerts without being imitative at all. Not a piece of music for everyday listening, it contains that genuine real jazz spirit, not so often available on today's jazz scene.
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