Jazz breaking news: Abdullah Ibrahim And Ekaya Receive Standing Ovation In Lucerne
Monday, December 5, 2011
The Ellingtonian aura spreads very wide and far but few can truly claim to have been encouraged in the early part of their career by Ellington himself, inspired by the master, then taking the inspiration and utterly transforming it into another sphere entirely shaped by the ancient sounds and sometimes tragic face of the recent history of South Africa.
Abdullah Ibrahim, now 71, as a composer and performer with an instantly recognisable style of his own even more crucially became an inspiration in the struggle against apartheid, played KKL Luzern in Switzerland with Ekaya on Friday. As children ice skated outside the beautiful Jean Nouvel-designed concert hall, art museum and restaurant complex overlooking Lake Lucerne, inside the extraordinarily detailed Russell Johnson designed acoustics of the Concert Hall allowed the mostly unamplified points of contrast particularly the horn arrangements full rein, and Ibrahim's carefully arranged chamber stylings were able to breathe.
Comprised of British and US musicians Ekaya (meaning 'Home' in Xhosa) played in Gateshead last year with a different version of the band but here Tony Kofi on baritone sax joined altoist/flautist Cleave Guyton, tenor sax player Keith Loftis and trombonist Andrae Murchison to effect combining for involving duo runs when Guyton switched to flute and even piccolo. Ibrahim was joined in the rhythm section by the fine US drummer Rod Youngs who has been based in the UK for many years and is a member of Kofi's trio, while double bassist Larry Bartley who has played like Youngs with Denys Baptiste, again could be heard in great detail. He frequently negotiated the tantalisingly slow tempos especially behind the stately Loftis solos with ease. Ibrahim was generous with his bandstand, and while not speaking once made sure everyone took their bows as the audience in the mostly full hall gave the band a standing ovation.
Ekaya unfolds its message slowly. Ibrahim firstly played solo on the beautiful stage which was illuminated simply by reds and oranges on panels behind, a small illusion to the sluice “needles” on Lake Lucerne. So softly that the coughs in an auditorium such as this, with pin sharp acoustics, and a lovely delay almost ricocheted. The two mobile phones going off during the concert sounded like a mini symphony of digital dystopia by contrast. Highlights of the set were the gorgeous a cappella horns version of 'The Wedding' and the classic 'Water From An Ancient Well', which had the warmth of an African village across continents and through time, and by the calm of the lake its ripples are still felt.
– Stephen Graham