Recommended: Omri Ziegele Where’s Africa – “Going South”

Going South has got plenty of groove, but this isn’t a dance album, per se.  Because the newest from Omri Ziegele Where’s Africa trio has got a soft touch of introspection and a strong dose of volatility to accompany its predominately joyful sound.  “Afreaka” threatens to come apart at the seams, and the cadence of “Space” is agreeably awkward and there’s a strangely mesmerizing effect from the melodic sighs and harmonic drone of “Yesterday’s Tomorrows,” and all of this emerges with a simple ease in the context of music made to incite motion.

Apparently, Ziegele was setting down roots in London around the time that many of the great South African jazz musicians were doing the same to escape the terror of Apartheid of their own home turf.  That Ziegele would be influenced by music legends like Abdullah Ibrahim, Chris Mcgregor, Dudu Pukwana, Johnny Dyani and Louis Moholo is a natural outcome.  Going South is clear evidence of just how much of an impact that influence made.

A very fun album.

Your album personnel:  Omri Ziegele (alto sax, Uzbek flute, vocals), Yves Theiler (keyboards, reed organ, melodica, vocals) and Dario Sisera (percussion, drums).

Released on Intakt Records.

Listen to more of the album on the label’s Bandcamp page.

Music from Zurich, Switzerland.

Available at:  Bandcamp | Amazon | eMusic