Description
Album opener Karibu, a phrase used to welcome visitors inSwahili, rolls into being with equal parts mystery and gusto. The individual elements coming together and being stirred by Franklin crescendo into fiery saxophone and trumpet solos setting the tone for the rest of the album. The misty cymbals and relaxed walk of The Griot lull you into a false sense of calm before breaking into kinetic double time. The track carries on the tradition of greats of Charles Mingus, Ray Brown, and others. Peoples Revolution may prove to deceive even the most discerning ear; its shambolic atmosphere guided by Franklins climbing bass lines could fit in on any coveted Black Jazz or Strata East masterpiece. Memories Lost feels like a lucid dream, stranding you somewhere between loneliness and recollection, revisiting thought-to-be-lost friends and feelings. On the other side of the spectrum is Feedback, a plugged-in slice of psychedelic Jazz, similar to Chick Coreas Return to Forever band, with a kaleidoscopic electric guitar solo at the centerpiece of the chaos. Like a fresh cafecito found on any one of Miamis walk-up markets, Cafe Negro is an accessible yet surprising jolt, reminiscent of Mingus own forays into Latin Jazz. Similar to the great Yusef Lateefs own recordings in Nigeria, African Sun incorporates distinctly West African rhythms alongside Jazz modalities, a meeting of two cultures ripped apart but in continuous conversation with each other. Album closer A Song For Sigrid sends us off on a tranquil river of sound, cascading towards the future, with inert melancholy contrasted by crashing cymbals and wailing saxophone, all guided by Franklins bass. As the final note lifts, and the album ends, you come away with a better understanding of Franklins ongoing role as not only a preservationist, but as a worldbuilder, embedding new recordings with keys to the past.
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