A few months ago I was meandering around the Internet and came upon the Zebulon Cafe Concert site. For those of you who haven't checked it out (www.zebuloncafeconcert.com), it has a really slick design and interface--definitelly one of the places on my list to check out on my next trip to New York. While I was browsing, I noticed this infectious flute track playing in the background of the site (playing in Flash?) and found myself returning ot the site the next day just so I could hear the track again. I tried to contact the Zebulon about the name of the track, but ended up getting a generic email back thanking me for visiting the site. Feeling a bit manic, I then decided to try and track down the people who designed the site (The Artbox). They were very helpful and friendly, but could only tell my that someone at the Zebulon had sent them the track a few years back for the site and that they couldn't remember the name of it. Not to be stopped (borderline compulsive now), I tried contacting the people at the Zebulon again with far better results. I finally got an email back from them with the info about this great group from Chicago (I hadn't heard of the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble before) and the track info, only to find that the album in question was out of print! Thoroughly obsessed, I went on eBay and eventually found a used copy for a pretty good price. Was it all worth it? You had better believe it!
The music itself is phenomenal, but after a little research I found out why. Kahil El'Zabar, one of the founding members, was fresh from the AACM school when the group was formed. That would make a good start, right? Early on, the group also played with such notables as Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre and then just recently with Corey Wilkes (you might recognize his name as the trumpet player who stood in for Lester Bowie in the AEC after his passing). El'Zabar has also worked outside of the Ensemble with Pharoah Sanders, Billy Bang, David Murray, Lester Bowie, Malachi Favors--the list goes on and on. How I hadn't heard of this group (or El'Zabar) I will never know, but they sure crossed paths with quite a few people I follow. El'Zabar feels like one of those people who you can go on and on about and still not do them justice.
The album itself has some great tracks. The thing that probably stood out the most to me after first hearing it was the amazing African rhythms that these guys knock out. It almost reminded me of certain Don Cherry projects, but this definitely has its own feel. The tracks "Jam for the Babas" (the flute track that I originally obsessed over from the Zebulon site) and "Great Black Music" are probably my favorites (funny how they cap the album), but the rest of the stuff also provides plenty of great listening. The use of the traditional African instruments also adds to the ethnic vibe, but the group still maintains a forward-thinking edge This stuff just feels so natural and fluid, and it all just pulls you right in. It grooves--you'll see!
Ethnic Heritage Ensemble
Ka-Real
2000
Silkheart
128 Rate AAC files (Equivelent to 192 rate MP3 files)
Line-up:
Joseph Bowie - Percussion, Trombone, Conga, Djembe, Photography
Ernest Dawkins - Flute, Percussion, Soprano, Sax (Alto), Sax (Tenor)
Kahil El'Zabar - Percussion, Drums, Mixing, Sanza
Atu Harold Murray - Flute, Drums
Tracks:
1. Great Black Music (El'Zabar) - 11:33
2. Sweet Meat (El'Zabar) - 5:52
3. Ka-Real (Bowie) - 7:49
4. Hang Tough (El'Zabar) - 9:42
5. Kampfumo Shuffle (Dawkins) - 9:15
6. The Christening (El'Zabar) - 7:33
7. Jam for the Babas (Murray) - 10:34
Here's some more links to related information:
http://www.kahilelzabar.com/ (El'Zabar's website)
http://www.fred.net/jbowie/ehe.html (More info about the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble and FREE audio samples!)
