Search - Abdoulaye N'Diaye :: Taoue

Confessions of a world jazz junkie

Jan P. Dennis | Monument, CO USA | 05/06/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I admit it. I can't get enough of these hybrid discs like Malicool, like Mambo Sinuendo, like Elio Villafranca, like Rudresh Mahanthappa, like Bill Frisell and the Intercontintals, like Pharoah Sanders and Graham Haynes, and like Abdoulaye N'Diaye. Something right just happens for me when an authentic world music esthetic meets a genuine jazz sensibility.David Murry, that bold spirit who has introduced us to such musics as Guadeloupean, neo-Gospel, and the Fo Deuk Review, now brings us a Senagalese saxophonist--a kind of oxymoran, since there is no traditon of Senagalese saxophonists. But Abdulaye N'Diaye hasn't let that stop him. Basically working with two bands, a traditional Senagalese outfit, with kora, djembe, and bolong, and a traditional jazz outfit, with piano, bass, and drums, N'Diaye gets anything but traditional music from his horns (soprano, alto, and tenor sax) and his two groups.It's hard to choose between the two. Since N'Diaye plays in anything but typical sax, perhaps the juxtaposition of avant-African sax in a traditional Senagalese setting is the more successful, just because of its unlikeliness. Indeed, the African numbers shine very brightly.On the other hand, who wouldn't welcome the opportunity to play with Dave Burrell, a hugely underrated jazz pianist, Hamid Drake, a protean percussionist, and Jaribu Shahid, one of the finer bassists around? So it's hard to choose between the two. Perhaps because David Murray add his inimitable playing to the "straight" jazz tracks, these perhaps edge out the African ones. But it must be said, that N'Diaye more than holds his own on when paired with Murray, without sounding much if anything like him.One track, the opener, combines both bands and produces some intriguing results. I for one would like to hear more of this true East meets West approach (sans the slightly distracting vocal). In any case, this is a very fine disc, certainly worth checking out."