Song of the Day: Muriel Grossmann – African Dance
Austrian saxophone player & composer Muriel Grossmann released recently her new album Union containing the new excellent new version of her composition African Dance. The album came out on RR Gems Records.
The vibrant composition called African Dance was first recorded for the afromentioned album Natural Time. On this track, the drummer Uros Stamenkovic gets into the burning hard, driving up-tempo Afro-Cuban rhythm, while Grossmann delivers motifs and short burst phrases, this time on the alto saxophone. The guitarist Radomir Milojkovic and Hammond player Llorenc Barceló are locked into an infectious riff that makes you want to put on your dancing shoes and start jumping, pumping and shouting. It is an intense performance encompassing the trademark sound of this band, which gets under your skin after just a few bars.
In the context of this record and the previous ones, we can clearly talk about Muriel Grossmann’s music as a style of music that is distinctive and recognizable from the very first note. If there is any remotely positive side to the situation that the whole world has found itself in, it is that this record is able to see the light of day, which otherwise would have been unlikely since Muriel already had her follow up to Reverence composed and ready for recording. As it turned out, both records Quiet Earth and Union got their opportunity to be heard rather than being shelved deep in the recording vaults
Listen to Muriel Grossmann composition African Dance, from her latest album Union:
After the record Golden Rule received good reviews, got accolades from record collectors around the world, was voted best record of 2018 by UK VIBE and was nominated for the Jazz Album Of The Year for the Gilles Peterson Worldwide Awards, Muriel Grossmann and the band were back to their usual routine, performing, touring and recording the follow up to Golden Rule, a formidable record entitled Reverence. While the record was still in the making, I called Muriel and told her that it would be great to finally meet in person. Muriel suggested we meet on her forthcoming tour of the Balearic Islands in early autumn of 2019. I proposed immediately to make a short road movie about that tour and that the band should record live if possible. The task of capturing a live performance at the concert proved to be impossible, but she managed to book a two-day recording session in Mallorca studio Caja Del Ruido with an actual Hammond B3. I remember we arrived one day prior to the gig in Mallorca to make a recording session the same day. Gina Schwarz - the bass player - could not make it so early though, and it took Llorenç Barceló by surprise. While warming up his fingers on the Hammond he realized that Gina was not going to participate in the recording session and he had to step into her territory. But after all, Muriel just wanted to capture the live set and she did it exceptionally and with grace. (from the Liner Notes for Muriel Grossmann - Union by Dmitri Kalinin)
Watch below Muriel Grossmann composition African Dance, from her latest album Union:
Other wicked songs and projects worth checking this week:
Łukasz Wójcik, Leszek Możdżer - Kosmyk
Matthew Halsall - Salute to the Sun - Live at Hallé St Peter's
Alex Hitchcock, Cherise Adams-Burnett - to love itself
Matthias Lindermayr - Simmering
Alfa Mist - Bumper Cars
Apifera - Beyond The Sunrays
Myele Manzanza - Two Chords & the Truth
Waaju - Listening Glasses - Live
H ZETTRIO - Spacewalk
Gary Bartz - Soulsea - Cut Chemist Remix
D'agua Negra - ACOPALICES
Adrian Quesada, Aaron Frazer, David Hidalgo - One Woman Man
Blue Lab Beats, Tiana Major9, Kofi Stone - Labels
Cookin Soul - Villainous Adventure
Tall Black Guy, Ozay Moore, KUMBAYA - Viberite (Instrumental)
Jaga Jazzist - Tomita - Paul Bender Remix
Gregory Porter, CHERISE - Love Runs Deeper
DJ Tron - Sole Power
DJ Nu-Mark, The Traffic - Hot In Herre
The Diasonics - Gurami
