Sakésho

Sakésho

Saksho

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Sakésho (pronounced sah kay show) is a jazz quartet that draws much of its inspiration from the biguine – the syncopated, polyrhythmic music from the islands of Martinique and Guadaloupe – Sakésho (HUCD 3069) features steel pan virtuoso Andy Narell, pianist Mario Canonge, bassist Michel Alibo and drummer Jean Philippe Fanfant, all master musicians with roots deep in the French Caribbean.

Not every tune on Sakésho is a biguine; some are calypsos, some are Afro-Cuban, and some are gorgeous jazz ballads. But the flavor of the French Caribbean, and its rich musical traditions, washes over this enhanced CD as irresistibly (and refreshingly) as a blue wave rolling into the windward coast of some green, glowing island in the tropical sea.

“Kon Djab Djigidji” is built on an Afro-Cuban groove that showcases what a great Latin jazz player Canonge is. Check out Alibo’s amazing bass solo, too. “It’s amazing to me to see the way he approaches the instrument,” says Narell. “There’s the groove, and then there’s the soloing ideas, and then there’s all the different ways he produces sound. He’s so modern and original.”

“Roulé Quadrille” is an older, more traditional groove. It’s a lot like the music Canonge’s grandparents enjoyed, with stops, starts, and traditional drum breaks that were great fun to dance to back in the day – and still are.

“Laventille” has a calypso beat from Trinidad, and a verse/chorus structure that’s typical of Trinidad Carnival music. Don't miss Canonge’s beautiful piano solo. One listen and you’ll wonder how he manages to sound so comfortable playing jazz with such a strong feeling of calypso.

“Grand Fabrice” is an extremely beautiful and immensely complicated tune that the band plays mostly in 5/8 – but throws in measures in 3/8 and 4/8 just to keep things from getting too easy. Narell’s lovely, relaxed solo is in 5/4, and Canonge plays an incredible solo at the end.

“Mabouya” is the Creole name for a big, slow lizard – and the introduction has that lizard feel. The band plays it mostly as a mazouka (a 3/4 French Caribbean rhythm). The tune is based on the chords of Thelonious Monk’s “Round Midnight.” Check out Fanfant’s breathtaking drumming.

Not really a biguine, “Divini” is just a beautiful jazz ballad with yet another beautiful piano solo. You can hear how much Canonge has listened to great American jazz players like Herbie Hancock.

“Karawak Dream” is another mazouka. Canonge decided to play it on a Fender Rhodes keyboard, which reminded the mixdown team (Narell and Steve Miller) of how much they loved those CTI records from the ‘70s (CTI was a legendary jazz-fusion label formed in 1970 by producer Creed Taylor). So when they mixed the tune, they decided to go for that classic CTI sound with the pulsing stereo vibrato.

“Song for Mia” is the purest example of biguine on Sakésho, with an effortless groove that’s a sheer delight. Polo Athanase, a folkloric singer from Martinique, contributes lead vocal. The ending, with its chanted vocal and amazing rhythm, is rooted in the traditional gwoka drumming style.

The product of four stellar musicians deeply immersed in the French Caribbean tradition, Sakésho is a beguiling and sophisticated hybrid that maintains a reverence for its roots while steering jazz into the hippest currents of contemporary music.

Find out more about Sakésho

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