In a video on the Jazz Is Dead YouTube channel, one can find footage of Ghanaian high life pioneer Ebo Taylor’s first performance in the US. This isn’t archival film however – it’s actually from 2022, when the label flew the then 86-year-old Taylor and his band to perform a string of US dates. Sat on an armchair centre-stage, the legendary musician’s command of the band, and of the crowd, emanates from the screen.

This American adventure resulted in a studio collaboration between Taylor, Henry Taylor (Ebo’s son), and label founders Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. In ‘Obi Do Woa’, Taylor’s voice glides over a funky, psychedelic blend of horns and recitative singing, while in ‘Kusi Na Sibo’, Younge’s powerful guitar works beautifully against the fluid flute improvisations of Katisse Buckingham.

A timeless, pulsating highlife rhythm resonates throughout, an imprint of the African music pioneer’s legacy.

The album is a testament to the power of collaboration, something which Taylor has been doing for a lifetime.