Founder Drew Foxman has put together a team from various parts of the world to address global and social issues. Artists from Pakistan (Farhan Bogra/rubab), Twanda (Teta/voc), Japan (Aisha Fukushima/voc), Togo (Amen Viana/g-voc) and Brazil (Icaro Sa’/perc) join with Americans Derek Beckvold/sax-tab, Will Magid/tp, Owen Clapp/b and Tyler Nam Berg/dr for a panoramic and exciting mix of sounds and visions.
The mix of flavors can be quite intriguing, with tablas and horns mixing with a hot bop line on “Sheen-Gur” or a bass line funky groove meeting with Indian strings and Fukushima’s rap on “Beautiful.” Some 70s soul is fun with rich voice and Magid’s hip trumpet during the upbeat “Dance Joing” and soft gospel voices float with reeds on “Life.” A mix of reggae and Africa team up with Viana’s guitar and the deep groove on ”Build” and the reeds slither between the handclaps on the bopping “L.o.v.e.” Lots to like here, both in message and medium.
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