"Sunjata"

To begin with, you have to say that these two veterans of improvisational music are no strangers to spontaneous collaboration.  Since moving from his native Gambia to the United States in the 1970s, Foday Musa Suso has worked with artists as diverse as Herbie Hancock, Ginger Baker and the Kronos Quartet.  And DeJohnette?  Well, where to even begin?  Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins, Keith Jarrett, John Abercrombie, Carlos Santana.  Even with all that, the easy, intimate common ground they stake out in these nine tracks is remarkable, and deeply satisfying.

"Ocean Wave" unfolds in something like a tango rhythm, with Suso establishing a kora ostinatto, looping it, and then lacing it with warbly ornamentations while Dejohnette grooves with simple elegance.   When Suso breaks out his hunter's harp (donsongoni) on "Ancient Techno," Dejonette is freer to roam, but track after track, what is most striking is this monstrously capable drummer's discipline and restraint.  The result is an extremely musical interaction, free of gratuitousness or grandstanding.  Whether delving into Mande griot tradition ("Kaira," "Sunjata"), minimalist improvising ("Mountain Love Dance"), or rolling grooves ("Worldwide Funk," "Party"), the two musicians seem absolutely at ease and in synch at every turn.

Sometimes the simplest cross cultural collaborations offer the greatest rewards.  Two grand musicians with much to share and little to prove create brilliant music here simply by relaxing together, listening deeply, and letting the juices flow.  Listening to their gorgeous rendition of "Sunjata," you sense that the human and artistic continuum from a 13^th century West African king to the realm of American free jazz isn't so mysterious after all.  In these generous musical dialogues, centuries of rich history are explored and communicated without the need to utter a word. 

Contributed by: Banning Eyre for www.afropop.org