A behemoth of an album, Trip the Night Fantastic arrives carrying the weight of big ideas, and an overriding belief in the power of community to spark social change. Built around the core chemistry of pianist Aaron Parks, guitarist Matthew Stevens and multi-instrumentalist Morgan Guerin, and delivered under the aegis of drummer, educator and changemaker Terri Lyne Carrington, the project manages to sidestep the earnestness that can sometimes dog overtly political projects, favouring deep grooves, rich textures and a cinematic sense of movement.
Opener ‘Riddim Song’ is a glorious tempo-changing clash of spoken word, organs and horns and crisp, unfussy backbeats featuring the golden voice of Malian diva Fatoumata Diawara…
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Protest music is on the rise as it should be. We Insist! Max Roach’s “Freedom Now Suite” (1960), an important collaboration between jazz drummer Max Roach and lyricist Oscar Brown Jr., featuring vocals by Abbey Lincoln and contributions from Coleman Hawkins and Booker Little, is a defining statement of the early Black American civil rights movement. Unfortunately, many issues from that era are still with us. The album, controversial in its time, was recognized by the Library of Congress as one of the most essential jazz albums in history. Who better to reimagine this classic album than NEA Jazz Master