Mboko

The biankoméko is an unusual Afro-Cuban set of instruments composed of four cord-and-skin drums, shakers (erikunki), wooden sticks (itones), and a metal bell (ekón), which in West Africa are used in initiations. It is part of the ensemble for this mystical album, which includes two basses (often used as drones), a regular drum set, and a piano played by leader David Virelles. As this is an ECM production, quiet and slow free jazz is not unexpected, but that feature describes only the beginning. Such minimalism echoes spiritual teachings that a universe may be found within silence, within the space co-created with form. Mbókò, the title of the album, refers to the voice of the world spirit, and rites and practices are designed to perceive this voice. The first track of rumbles and drum beats seems to beckon the spirit. Next, military drum rolls, sacred drum beats, and sparse piano and bass notes set the stage. A mood of anticipation arises. Suddenly, with the following track, the music is loud, complex, and busy, with a steady left hand two-beat rhythm on the piano while the right hand delivers melodies and dissonant chords. The drum kit (Marcus Gilmore) now leads the powerful charge of the ensemble. A song arises and from the mysterious mists the listener is enveloped in more familiar jazz improvisations; the thickness of notes shifts at the end to a repeating phrase and then fades. Chaos ensues with drums right and left heralding bass explorations, metallic ornamentation, and whispy piano work. Román Díaz, who plays the biankoméko, also now provides some vocal incantations. Track 6, "Seven, Through the Divination Horn," begins with the bell and is a swirling, frenetic dance. Quiet returns as the piano explores the exhale, and mid way begins a bouncy ditty that is picked up by the other musicians and transformed into an epic tale; the track is Stories Waiting To Be Told and a bass has the last word. "Transmission" ensues: the hot licks of the snare and high hat plus some piano commentary comprise most of the track. It is a nervous and fidgety. We can image the rite participant taken up in trance, speaking nonsense, heaving and shaking. The sustaining piano chord and drum beats close the section. "The Highest One" (the Voice?) is track 9. With one bowed bass drone and the other played in pizzicato [Thomas Morgan & Robert Hurst], with repeated and rhythmic cymbal crashes and melodic piano, and soon the entrance of spiritual drums, this track for me is most approachable. It has Terry Riley-like ritualistic aspects. The final piece is mere seconds long, an epilogue and of piano and sticks. While individual tracks, with exceptions, are noisy and chaotic and challenging when heard alone, the album in its entirely does follow a ritualistic path. At the end, the listener can grasp the sequence and perhaps be moved spiritually, under certain conditions.

Very enjoyable collection of original compositions/performances. One of the best contemporary jazz musicians. He's firmly within the jazz tradition, but the afro-cuban influences are well-integrated. One tune has some vocals, the rest are instrumentals. Nothing too fast, but there are a couple of uptempo numbers, and a few slower numbers, for good variety. One of the few contemporary jazz CDs I would recommend, from a long-time jazz fan.

The cd was undamaged & very good, but the plastic case it came in was broken.

This is a very quiet and jazz ritual music..The musicians are all in the same mindset and relating to the music and its theme(s). I enjoy this music a lot while driving and just "being"..

Very spiritually up-lifiting set of compositions. This is an album that needs to be listened to as a whole and not as individual tracks. Sound mixing is above average. Well conceived !!!

The quiet free jazz aspect hid the sacred, melodic, African rhythms that I had hoped for.

It was not that easy to listen to....

Sublime. Unique in its use of the Abakua biankomeko.

Involving, challenging, engaging. Love this album.

I know this artist and heard him play in Ravi Coltrane's Quartet at Koerner Hall in Toronto. He ended that night with an absolute thunderous crescendo that was unlike anything I've ever heard before but maybe Keith Jarrett's Koln Concert. Since then I've seen the writers at the NY Times just love his work. This record has a lot going on, I've listened to quite a few times and always the last thing at night and at a pretty high volume and in high fidelity. It captured me and took me far, far away...

This is less tuneful than I had expected, less rhythm. Very accomplished musically, but a particular style that is not easy to get in to.

A great missed opportunity to create some interesting percussive rhythms and interplay between 2 drummers and 2 double basses. Too cerebral and inward looking not to have any melody lines or hooks.

I bought this prior to going to see David perform live. I wish I hadn't bothered. To say his music is challenging to listen to is a bit of an understatement. There's no doubting the musicians' competence and they almost certainly have all the right notes, but not necessarilt in the right order for my ear.