From Spiritual Jazz to African Rhythms: London’s Maisha Releases ‘There Is a Place’
The latest breakthrough jazz release from Gilles Peterson’s Brownswood label comes from the London-based group Maisha. This six-piece band features superb drummer and band leader Jake Long, as well as one of the leading musicians in jazz right now in saxophonist Nubya Garcia.
The rest of the group is rounded out by solid cast of London-based musicians including guitarist Shirley Tetteh, pianist Amané Suganami, bassist Twm Dylan, and percussionists Tim Doyle and Yahael Camara-Onono.
The six-track album, which also features an additional string ensemble and guest trumpeter Axel Kaner-Lindstrom, takes listeners on a musical journey varies from spiritual and trance-like jazz melodies to more uptempo Afrobeat and Caribbean influenced rhythms and grooves. The album has a great balance of beautiful calming movements and built up intensity throughout the recording. You can hear the compositions channeling the structures often heard in Pharoah Sanders’ classic recordings, a strong influence on the group.
Overall, There Is a Place is a brilliant and cohesive album that can be placed near the forefront of the other monumental releases we’ve seen come out of the London jazz scene over the past few years.
