Dub Colossus Return To Addis Rar
For the last few years I've been plugging away on a new musical project which has finally come to fruition in the form of an all-acoustic dub-jazz group called Aketi Ray.double bass, drums, upright piano,horns, percussion, reverb and delay. W e play compositionsgrounded in the instrumental music of Jamaica - ska, rocksteady, reggae, rockers,dub - but drawinginspiration and influence from Ethiopian and US jazz, west African percussiontraditions, all served up with the mind set of UK steppas. Kingston to Chicago to Addis Ababa to Dakar to London. After much work in the background we have an album recorded, lined-up and ready to launch in 2018, with a 12 inch release already out and 6-track vinyl-only album sampler dropping November 18th 2017. Check for all the details on those.The mix below is a journey into the music that's influenced the Aketi Ray sound.mainly looking at those moments where Jamaican music and jazz brush up together, as well as a couple of tracks just a step removed, but influential to us.
Dub Colossus Return To Addis Rar 2
All part of the journey. Oh, and a couple of sneak previews of forthcoming Aketi Ray tracks! Have written a couple of words about each track too. JazzWarriors were a London-based group which launched the careersof a generation of young musicians on to the scene - one of which wastrumpeter Kevin Robinson, who plays extensively on our Aketi Ray LP. Theyreleased just one album, the landmark 1987 live recording Out of Many,One People (Jamaica's national motto). The piece of music included here is just a short extract from a much longer, constantly-changing track, Many Pauses, andfeatures jazz vocalist and occasional D&B MC Cleveland Watkiss on scatparts. Returnof the Super Ape - Lee Perry 32.00In interviews Lee Perry often cites jazz as the music that inspires him the most, and even when his music doesn't have the solos of jazz, it so often has the experimental, rule breaking, attitude.
In this cut it does both. Amazing record - pure inspiration into what can be done.13. The Breadwinner - The Breadwinners 35.31As far as I'm concerned there is only one person out there who has carried on the works of Lee Perry at the Black Ark faithfully, and thats Al and the Breadwinners camp out of Manchester, England.
I especially love their instrumental tracks, often featuring Sally on all horn and wind parts. Really recommend checking their back catalogue.
One of my favourite records from recent years, perhaps surprisingly, out of Switzerland - going to show there are no borders in music! Lovely playing on all their cuts, but I particularly like the message on this one (the one vocal track on this mix), and its a message that is shared with the next track.22. Mirror- Aketi Ray 65.44The second Aketi Ray track featured, and yeah, like the track before, this ones all about reflection and knowledge of self! This one is coming out on a 12inch on Steppas Records - look out for a video too! Should find it on the Aketi Ray website / youtube.