A from Brazil to Africa tribute has been highlighted in the form of new-jazz by three of some of the most crucial young musicians to come to the surface in the last 15 years or so. Not so much as a trio, but a collaborative effort, with the inclusion of other musicians, by Stefon Harris, David Sanchez and Christian Scott has seen the three sound comfortable in each other’s skin.
Listening to their individual recordings I have always felt a battle for these young musicians to fight for a realm in the space of the Jazz arena, which demands much respect from peers and more importantly, your listeners. To unfairly single out trumpeter Christian Scott, his blowing has been too fiery, too unstructured and at times this could be mistaken as indiscipline.
In Ninety Miles, there is a sense of “cool”, calm and swagger from the trumpeter, saxophonist and vibraphonist, and a lot of ease in their winding in and out of each other. Finally, they are playing as if there is no point to prove.
The album kicks off with Nenguerelu, where the three are playing synonymously under a heavy polyrhythmic Sipho-Gumede type of bass, with flair, with flight and without pretension, and a kind-of Moses Molelekwa -via- Don Pullen kind of easy piano following things pentatonic. There is definite structure, preparation and precision demanded here. Not only that but the hop and skip are demanded here. Congo is a protest march. Percussive in its approach, the musicians tackle the wars, the rapes, blood diamonds, child slavery, death of innocent women, in an almost not so revolutionary way, but demanding a right which needs no desperation to seek it.
The album is always moving in and out, in this discipline, addressing the issue and the music of the Africa, Brazil, Cuba and black America, not only in structure but in an improvising full of clarity, intelligence and allure to it. Ninety Miles is under the surface a political statement; but you decide. That’s what’s lovely; it embraces a notion that travelling is required before we reach the destination.
