Steve Reid Ensemble - Daxaar

A long way from Dancing In The Street

Recorded over three days in Senegal, this latest from the Steve Reid Ensemble involves Kieran Hebden of Four Tet fame and a crack band of African musicians. While gorgeous, the gently plucked korah of the opening Welcome (played and sung by Isa Kouyate) is not representative of the rest of the album. The title track begins with an intense bongo-beat groove that turns steadily into swirling psychedelic 60s madness, adding robotic blips for good measure. Jiggy Jiggy starts off, well, jiggy, tasteful and neat, with elegant Knopfler-esque guitar lines from Jimi Mbaye, slowly transmuting into blip-jazz while, even further in, Hebden’s electronic interference achieves a toe-tapping spaciness. Dabronxaar cruises like NYC traffic, wending through car-horn trumpets and headache effects, mellowing down into splashing drums as if the sea were finally in sight. Though this snappy record is essentially jazz-rock by way of African funk, Hebden’s inspired electronica additions really take Daxaar off into Sun Ra-flecked space.

Domino | WIGCD 206

Reviewed by David Harvey
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