Kahil El’Zabar’s Ethnic Heritage Ensemble — Open Me, A Higher Consciousness of Sound and Spirit (Spiritmuse)

Photo by Christopher Andrew

Celebrating 50 years of his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble bandleader, activist, educator and percussionist Kahil El’Zabar delves deeply into the music he has helped shape over his long career. Open Me is neither a valedictory nostalgia trip nor a lap of honor. Spanning spiritual and avant-garde jazz, African rhythms, soul blues and protest music, El’Zabar and his cohorts, trumpeter Corey Wilkes and baritone saxophonist Alex Harding, are joined by guests Ishmael Ali on cello and violinist James Sanders in collection of original tunes and finely wrought covers that look forward while linking the threads of El’Zabar’s musical legacy.

The quintet finds a devotional center to Miles Davis’ “All Blues”. El’Zabar plays on kalimba and bells, his hums and ululations a prayerful focus. The band play at a meditative pace with Wilkes pushing his tone through Davis’ modal calm into higher registers that evoke Don Cherry whilst Harding provides soulful counterpoint and a solo that carries the barest trace of Coltrane. Sanders’ short solo scratches then soars as if freeing itself from earthly concerns. “The Whole World in His Hands” feels reclaimed as El’Zabar lays down a rolling African beat and his vocal emphasizes the gospel blues root of the song. Behind, the horns and strings provide an intense group sound, with a call and response of short solos that mirror both church service and jam session. Their version of Eugene McDaniel’s “Compared To What” finds El’Zabar’s graveled vocal backed by Harding’s nimble baritone riff, a glorious clarion call from Wilkes and atmospheric flourishes from the strings. The spirit is to the fore, but this band also swings hard. “Hang Tuff” and McCoy Tyner’s “Passion Dance” are exuberant celebrations. The former graced by a dervish of a solo from Sanders and the latter played with all the power of a big band, the horns blasting the theme, El’Zabar all over his kit, the solos uniformly fiery.  

From Lester Bowie, Anthony Braxton and Pharoah Sanders to David Murray to Tomeka Reid and Isaiah Collier, El’Zabar’s career spans generations of forward-thinking musicians. The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble is the longest running of his many musical projects and on Open Me, they produce a stirring mix of spirituality, groove and fire music. This is history very much alive and kicking.

Andrew Forell

I love Nina so much, she’s like oh are you banging the librarian, cause you’re a whore and a slut? and Crowley just stood there like, man that was an option?

I'm entitled to that. I'm giving you my days. You and me, time and space.

🌾 . 🍚

God, I miss him.

IF ONLY ICARUS COULD SEE ME NOW

Yeah, you're always running at full speed. That's what makes you so charming. That and your eyelashes.

A little goof based on something Alex said in an interview.

(Something about he and elizabeth doing the lift from dirty dancing as a bow-gag)

I AM SO NORMAL ABOUT THIS 🥺🥺🥺

Btw, not okay to make fun of religion. Being queer? Amazing! Putting down religion and making fun of people's believes? No?????

It's a joke I get it, but it may not mean anything to you but religion is a really big thing, people find comfort in Jesus and what you're doing is actually disrespect, like extremely.

I don't mean this as hate mail, but please realize, respecting one community but making fun of another is not good D:

Sorry but if your faith is exclusionary to groups of people and actively encourages the persecution of them then I do not care if they’re offended by the fact that I said Jesus and Judas fuck nasty.

no context riordanverse spoilers:

some eefo and effubs :Pc

Redraw from :

Genderbend Steve x Alex redraw

He said no pickles

Dear Thisbe,

I wish there weren't a wall.

Love, Pyramus

happy (late) halloweeeeeeen ^______^