Youssou N’Dour, Keith Jarrett, François Jeanneau, Asian and Senegalese music, Mandingue music, Miles Davis, Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Wayne Shorter, the Gil Evans Big Band, Joe Henderson, Naná Vasconcelos, Craig Handy, Lenny Pickett
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The mutual admiration society that is Ablaye Cissoko and Volker Goetze owes itself to a serendipitous meeting that took place in 2001 at the African-European Jazz Orchestra rehearsals in Saint-Louis, Senegal, where they'd been invited to open for Senegalese legend Youssou N'Dour. Despite any cultural barriers that separated them, the Senegalese singer/kora player and German-born trumpeter discovered they had much in common, both musically and personally. Their commonalities can be heard on Sira, which is an album that reaffirms the maxim that music is the universal language. The album released in October 2008 to great critical acclaim and hit 2 on the CMJ World Music Chart.
Their willingness to absorb new ideas attracted the two artists to each other. Although Cissoko is well-versed in the traditional music of West Africa, passed along from generation to generation, he has always been a seeker, keeping his ears open for new experiences. His immersion in jazz, and Goetze's fascination with African music, made them natural candidates for collaboration.
"He comes from the griot tradition. My grandfathers were highly respected spiritual leaders," says Goetze. "I learn from him and he learns from me. Our music is very much created in the moment, but we understand each other on a much deeper level." "It is our differences that become real strength," adds Cissoko. "I adapt myself to the context. I have in myself this ancient tradition of communication. It's like the branches of a baobob tree, which can touch those of another tree. I'm one of these branches. Volker and I are two musicians of the same generation with different sensibilities, who become one indivisible entity by speaking with our instruments."
What They're Saying About "Sira"
"5 stars! Their serene dialogue, inspired by tradition and inventing a new vocabulary at the same time, is both thrilling and soothing." - Mondomix France
"Cross-cultural fusion at its most sublime; Cissoko's keening vocals and cascading kora underpin much of the album, with Goetze weaving delicate yet sturdy lines (on trumpet) when inspiration strikes and Cissoko responding in kind...Delightful, mysterious, and indeed, ground breaking." - Jazzwise UK
“The music on this album is a revelation.”Songlines UK
"4 Stars! Recorded in Senegal as a duet, Sira marks a true meeting of the minds. 10 delicate titles, a hymn to simplicity and to the universality of music. Beautiful." - Jazzman France
"A breath of fresh air, Ablaye Cissoko and Volker Goetze's Sira provides an oasis of calm in which to pause and rest, to reflect and be moved...to tears." - All About Jazz
"One is immediately struck by the stark beauty of this recording. It has a simplicity and mystery about it that come across as entirely natural, almost naïve, except that it's also quite sophisticated." - Audiophile Audition
"All pieces are performed entirely by the two musicians - no accompaniment - and listening to them is a fascinating entry into a world both exotic and mysterious."- Blogcritics
"Cissoko's world weary vocal delivery on "Bouba" echoes the trills from Goetze's sleepy trumpet lines - though there is no English translation to the song, you can feel the pathos." - Minor 7th
"This magical (and most unlikely!) intersection of culture produces a surprising result... Truly mesmerizing stuff." - Jazz.com
Ablaye Cissoko & Volker Goetze's Friend Space (Top 4)
NOUVEL ALBUM pour les enfants de PIERRE ET VINCENT : "L'habit des saisons" Sortie nationale le 17 novembre 2009 Une chanson en écoute sur leur myspace dès le 10 novembre ! rendez-vous donc sur :
Spätestens seit dem Sonny Rollins Trio ist das Line-up Saxofon-Bass-Schlagzeug zur Gattung im Jazz geworden. Auch Tenorsaxofonist Claudius Valk hat sich der Herausforderung einer solchen „harmonielosen“ Besetzung gestellt: „Das Fehlen des Harmonieinstruments schafft Raum im Klangbild der Band, der mir die Möglichkeit eröffnet, melodisch spontaner und harmonisch freier zu agieren“, sagt der 1966 geborene Musiker. Nein, ein Harmonieinstrument vermisst man bei diesem Dreier nicht. Valk, Dieter Manderscheid und Roland Höppner (seit 1994 Triopartner des Saxofonisten) kennen sich lange und vertrauen blind einander. Ihr Zusammenspiel ist kompakt, engverzahnt und voraushörend. Valks Themen verarbeiten die drei in einem gemeinsamen Prozess des Improvisierens, raffiniert schlenzen sie sich die Ideen zu und erweitern kreativ die
Oktoposse geht fremd Vol.III - MARTIAL ARTS feat. Miko Gottschalk (Aikido, Sensor-Triggering)& Falk Grieffenhagen (Realtime-Programming)
16. Oktober 2009, 20 Uhr, Alte Kellnerei (MAP), Rheinberg 17. Oktober 2009, 20 Uhr, Konzertsaal der hochschule für Musik Köln 18. Oktober 2009, 20 Uhr, Alte Feuerwache, Wuppertal
After you've finished here, you may like to hear this poem sung on myspace...
Poem 162 of 230, WalkaboutsVerse (please see my blog): TEES TO TYNE: FIRST IMPRESSIONS - SUMMER 2001
Where traditions are not so rare; Sea, country and works scent the air; A multitude of monuments, Planted tubs and patterned pavements.
The longish pedestrian malls; The remnants of defensive walls; Historic buildings are a gauge Of the respect for heritage.
Wheat, rape and pines in the fields; Estuaries guarded by shields; Long sandy beaches and wide scenes; Romantic-ruin go-betweens.
Rivers in parts licked by trees, Or fringed by boat clubs, wharfs, gantries, And crossed by practical delights - Varied spans, forming pleasing sights.
Fine churches headed at Durham; Football kits ad infinitum; Kept castles - one for study; Masonry behind masonry.
And, with moulding-works out that way, It’s somewhere for a longer stay..?
"Faro"
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