Hank Jones & Cheick Tidiane Seck • Sarala

 

Review
by Alexander Gelfand  
This must surely be one of the most unusual items in Hank Jones' catalog. Few people would probably associate Jones -- one of the finest pianists that jazz has ever known, and a man who has played with everyone from Charlie Parker to Tony Williams -- with contemporary Afro-pop; yet this album is an infectiously grooving example of just that, featuring the remarkably versatile pianist alongside a stellar cast of musicians from the West African nation of Mali. At first glance, the Malian pop music that is featured on this cross-cultural outing would seem to be light-years from the kind of harmonically sophisticated jazz that Jones has played throughout most of his long and distinguished career. The chord changes that ordinarily undergird Jones' elegantly constructed solos are conspicuously absent from Malian music, which derives much of its unique flavor from the complex rhythmic interplay between electric guitars, keyboards, and traditional African instruments. Nonetheless, Jones plays this material as if he were born to it. His solos, while brief, beautifully straddle the line between his own personal style and the equally distinctive sound of his Malian bandmates; and his lines mesh perfectly with the mesmerizing rhythmic accompaniment provided by the rest of the ensemble. And quite an ensemble it is; some of the biggest names in Malian pop are featured on this album under the direction of leader Cheick-Tidiane Seck, and traditional instruments like the n'goni lute and balafon xylophone are given plenty of solo space. In addition, every track features a traditional Malian praise-song delivered by a powerful lead vocalist and a full complement of backup singers. An unlikely partnership, perhaps, but one that yields extraordinary results.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/sarala-mw0000648311

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Reseña
por Alexander Gelfand  
Éste debe de ser sin duda uno de los discos más inusuales del catálogo de Hank Jones. Probablemente poca gente asociaría a Jones -uno de los mejores pianistas que ha conocido el jazz, y un hombre que ha tocado con todo el mundo, desde Charlie Parker a Tony Williams- con el afro-pop contemporáneo; sin embargo, este álbum es un ejemplo contagioso de ello, presentando al pianista extraordinariamente versátil junto a un elenco estelar de músicos de la nación de África Occidental de Malí. A primera vista, la música pop maliense que aparece en este cruce de culturas parece estar a años luz del tipo de jazz armónicamente sofisticado que Jones ha tocado durante la mayor parte de su larga y distinguida carrera. Los cambios de acordes que suelen sustentar los solos elegantemente construidos de Jones brillan por su ausencia en la música maliense, que obtiene gran parte de su sabor único de la compleja interacción rítmica entre guitarras eléctricas, teclados e instrumentos tradicionales africanos. Sin embargo, Jones toca este material como si hubiera nacido para ello. Sus solos, aunque breves, se sitúan a caballo entre su estilo personal y el sonido igualmente distintivo de sus compañeros malienses, y sus líneas encajan a la perfección con el fascinante acompañamiento rítmico del resto del conjunto. Y vaya conjunto: algunos de los nombres más importantes del pop maliense aparecen en este álbum bajo la dirección del líder Cheick-Tidiane Seck, e instrumentos tradicionales como el laúd n'goni y el xilófono balafón tienen mucho espacio en solitario. Además, cada tema incluye una canción de alabanza tradicional maliense interpretada por un potente vocalista y un completo grupo de coristas. Una asociación improbable, tal vez, pero que produce resultados extraordinarios.
https://www.allmusic.com/album/sarala-mw0000648311

Tracks:
1 - Aly Kawélé
Composed By – Aly Wagué*
2 - Sarala
Backing Vocals – Tom Diakité
Lead Vocals – Cheick-Tidiane Seck*
3 - Maningafoly
4 - Tounia Kanibala
Composed By, Lead Vocals – Kassé-Mady Diabaté*
5 - Komidiara
Composed By, Lead Vocals – Tom Diakité
6 - Fantaguè
Composed By – Ousmane Kouyaté
7 - Mâkè
Djembe – Tom Diakité
Lead Vocals – Cheick-Tidiane Seck*
Vocals – Assitan "Mama" Keïta*
8 - Walidi Ya
Lead Guitar – Diely-Moussa Kouyaté*
Lead Vocals, Lyrics By – Amina Annabi*
9 - Soundjata
Composed By – Traditional
Lead Guitar – Manfila Kanté*
Lyrics By, Lead Vocals – Kassé-Mady Diabaté*
Vocals – Manian Damba
15
10 - Hank Miri
11 - Hadja Fadima
Vocals – Fatoumata "Mama" Kouyate, Manian Damba
12 - Mariba Ka Foly
Composed By – Moriba Koïta


Credits:
    Backing Vocals – Assitan "Mama" Keïta* (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 7-9, 11), Manian Damba (tracks: 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11)
    Balafon – Lansiné Kouyaté (tracks: 3-9, 11)
    Bass Guitar – César Anot* (tracks: 2, 4, 5), Sékou Diabaté* (tracks: 3, 7, 9, 11)
    Composed By – Cheick-Tidiane Seck* (tracks: 2, 3, 7, 8, 10, 11)
    Congas, Percussion – Jorge Amorim (tracks: 5, 8)
    Djembe, Percussion [Doum-doum] – Maré Sanogo* (tracks: 2-7, 9, 11)
    Djembe, Talking Drum [Tama] – Moussa Sissokho*
    Double Bass – Éric Vinceno* (tracks: 6, 8, 10)
    Executive-Producer – Jean-Philippe Allard
    Flute – Aly Wagué* (tracks: 1, 3, 4, 6, 10, 11)
    Kora – Djeli-Moussa Kondé* (tracks: 4, 6, 9, 10)
    Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar – Ousmane Kouyaté
    Organ [Hammond B-3], Percussion – Cheick-Tidiane Seck*
    Piano – Hank Jones
    Producer, Arranged By – Cheick-Tidiane Seck*
    Recorded By, Mixed By – Philippe Abadie
    Rhythm Guitar – Diely-Moussa Kouyaté* (tracks: 2-9, 11)
    Xalam [Ngoni] – Moriba Koïta (tracks: 2-9, 11, 12)

Label:    Verve Records – 528 783-2, Gitanes Jazz Productions – 528 783-2
Country:    France
Released:    1995
Genre:    Jazz, Pop, Folk, World, & Country
Style:    African, Griot
https://www.discogs.com/release/5575821-Hank-Jones-Meets-Cheick-Tidiane-Seck-And-The-Mandinkas-Sarala

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