by Mark Saleski
I am shocked to say that this recording left me cold. Shocked because it’s got Abdullah Ibrahim on it! There certainly are some great moments, such as the solo piano opening track (“Green Kalahari”) and the sprightly “Mandela”; come on, the melody is played on the irresistible piccolo flute! They also generate a serious amount of heat on “I Mean You/For Monk.” Kudos to guitarist Paul Shigihara for a killer solo. And Ibrahim does lay out some pretty inventive ruminations during the solo “For Monk” part. Still, I got to the end and those three bits were the only parts I remembered. Maybe I was just in the mood for something a little smaller that day.
‘Half Notes’ are quick-take thoughts on music from Something Else! Reviews, presented whenever the mood strikes us.
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