Here’s an ambitious piece that succeeds on a plethora of levels. Brazilian woodwind player and composer Felipe Salles brings together jazz, classical and African music in a fascinating pastiche of sounds on this recording. Combining the saxes and flute of Dave Liebman with African artists Damascus Kafumbe/perd, Rogero Boccato/perc, nando Michelin/p, Keala Kaumeheiwa/b, Bertram Lehmann/dr and Lucas Apostoleris/perc, Salles delivers a five movement suite that mixes sonic images of the jungle street and jazz club into a rich and organic whole.
The material brims with exciting rhythms and tone colors, as “The Buffalo” includes flutes and droning basses to simulate a fiery gallop, while “The Elephant” include an Africal tube-fiddle and Liebman’s baritone sax to evoke images of the overwhelming pachyderm. Mixtures of Brazil and Congo glide together like a sauce on the joyful “The Leopard” which spotlights Michelin’s exciting piano while a pair of tenor saxes roar with a vengeance on the percussively passionate “The Rhinoceros.” Each movement contains themes within themes and segues that lead to new untraveled paths. The journey is wonderfully both exhausting and thrilling, like a ride through the Okavango Delta, with new sounds at every turn. Check this one out!
Papesry Records