Wishing you a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year!
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Thursday, December 27, 2007
CHICAGO TRIBUNE
By Howard Reich
MUSIC REVIEWS: In the age of downloads, CDs still reign in jazz
4. Dee Dee Bridgewater: "Red Earth: A Malian Journey" (EmArcy)
In a year of dishwater-dull vocal releases, one stands out: Bridgewater's daring, revelatory journey to the African roots of her music, and of jazz itself. By joining forces with musicians and griots of Mali - their chanted vocals and distinctive percussion instruments dovetailing with her own gauzy phrases - she transcends the torpor of modern-day jazz singing. Here's music rich in folkloric impulse and ancient musical ritual, thanks, in part, to the contributions of major figures such as Baba Sissoko and Toumani Diabate. Yet this recording also bristles with the spirit of jazz improvisation, articulated by Bridgewater and instrumentalists such as pianist Edsel Gomez and bassist Ira Coleman. By offering both jazz classics ("Afro Blue") and Malian repertoire, Bridgewater eloquently links two cultures. Yet for all the audacity of this venture, there's no mistaking the sound at its center: Bridgewater's tonally lustrous, still remarkably malleable voice.