With no fanfare whatsoever, this outstanding fench-canadian recording, ''Grooves à Mystères'', features alto saxophonist, flautist and composer Mehdi Nabti with his band ''Prototype'' (Nicolas Lafortune: electric bass, Joy Anandasivam: electric guitar, Bertil Schulrabe: drums, derbouka, triangle, sheker) making an album for the ages.
Nabti starts the proceedings off with ''Antee'' and ''Eon'', two beautiful melodies and improvisations on a medium-slow derbuka rythm, spitting out the melodies of "Ayyur''. There's his inimitable clear and organic tone, sounding both sweet and sharp. There's his miraculous intensity, his roiling swing, and the tidal wave of fresh ideas, the constant creativity. During these three tunes Nabti never coasts.
"Mithra" and ''Promethee'' are similarly impressive, magnificent with superb work by Nabti who never lets up. Even the more lyrical pieces, the afrobeat "Esperanto", the trance dancing ''Timgad'' and the traditionnal folk song "So Maki Sum Se Rodila" are played with an exciting sound.
The rhythm section should not be neglected. They function as a unit, meshing with admirable precision and grooving, really grooving. Anandasivam is a formidable soloist and a very capable sideman. Lafortune is rock-solid, and Schulrabe is a strong and powerful timekeeper who also solos impressively on "Promethee".
Mehdi Nabti nominates his work ''Afro-Berber continuum''. He is trying to develop a contemporary improvised music based on musical techniques that he identified in North Africa and others influences...and he succees! If you missed him the other times around, now's the time to correct that oversight.
Track Listing: Antee, Ayyur, Eon, Esperanto,
Personnel: Mehdi Nabti : alto sax, moroccan flute (nira), clavé. Nicolas Lafortune: electric bass. Joy Anandasivam: electric guitar. Bertil Schulrabe: drums, derbouka, triangle, sheker
Title: Grooves à mystères | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: Self Produced
Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.
Saburo K, Saitama, Japan.
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