The strong transatlantic connections made between the UK and Brazil goes back well into the late 60's. It is stronger that the political relationship between May and Trump.
Londoner Sean Khan is no stranger to the challenges created in the music industry. He faced many obstacles and persisted with his passion, his belief, his talent.
Khan is widely acknowledged as a contributing innovator in the UK Broken-beat music scene, landing his first label deal with Goya Music. Others were already touring this largely undiscovered genre landscape including Kaidi Tatham, Daz-I-Kue, Recloose and Mark De Clive Lowe.
Fast forward to the present and you'll find everyone wants a piece of this maturing talent including Henry Wu (Yussef Kamal) and Nicola Conte. He keeps giving....like a Duracell battery. His music is highly charged, propagating ideas, inspiration; and he keeps going.
Many jazz giants have their Mecca's for their spiritual calling. Khan travelled to Rio de Janeiro to work with living legend - Hermeto Pascoal. (See my 5-star review in my article about Pascoal's lost recordings' - "Viajando Com O Som" here)
I shan't bore you with the details about Pascoal's credentials - well perhaps a quick reminder: Miles Davis is reported to have stated that Pascoal is "the most impressive musician in the world". A compliment more fitting than a tailored Gucci suit.
This album features a strong contingency including Azymuth drummer Ivan ‘Mamao’ Conti, bassist Paulo Russo, guitarist Jim Mullen, guest vocals from Brazilian chanteuse Sabrina Malheiros, and Cinematic Orchestra front-woman Heidi Vogel.
Before I played this album, I was full and content. Now I play this album finding myself feeling hungry for more music and digesting all it has to offer. I feel as though I have committed one of the seven deadly sins. Music gluttony.
A fresh morning Waltz for Hermeto. Definitely a nod to the man himself and other legends who's path he has followed. The harmonica solo strikes brilliance into my music nervous system, as the hair on the back of my neck salutes to attention. I smile as I share the thoughts of this compelling piece in 6 minutes of artistic guilt.
It is as if Heidi is singing for me in Moment of Collapse. Her sexy, sultry and seductive voice is so full of passion. She breaks away from the main verse as the band spin into a controlled frenzy of grooves led by Khan's soliloquy. He hones’ his tones with the precision of a jazz surgeon.
Palmares Fantasy could have been as if it were scored for a CBS detective series chase scene. The bass adds all the tension and suspense, whilst the synth brings the thriller. This could be mistaken for a Mancini or Schifrin - Just saying. Listen for the last few bars and you'll unmistakably hear Pascoal' s signature freestyling. He's constantly orbiting this chorus dropping in and out.
Said is a heavyweight tune and the ivory played with the delicacy of a chinaware. If played incorrectly, it breaks and cannot be recovered. However, these musicians are more than craftsman gently nurturing the triple signature and smooth baseline; meanwhile Khan plays such a smooth chorus with the hypnotic skill of a snake charmer. Pascoal can be heard getting into the groove, all the way up to level 11; 10 is the highest you can go.
Montreux's exquisite vamp proceeds the 8 note bass chorus over a couple of improvised changes. A clean song with no complicated infills. It just flows over a few bridges. Every musician aspires to be and play this smooth.
In the vernacular "This shiz is the biz” ...
