Jack DeJohnette can boast a resume like no other drummer in modern jazz history. His historical resume ranges from his early days as a member of the Charles Lloyd Quartet to his seminal drumming with Miles Davis’ fusion ensemble of the late 1960s and early 1970s to his longstanding collaborations as a member of the Keith Jarrett Trio. He has also recorded as a solo artist for such prestigious recording labels as ECM, MCA/Impulse!, EMI/Blue Note and his own imprint, Golden Beams.
About Sound Travels
Sound Travels is DeJohnette’s best recording. It is a genre-spanning collection of nine songs featuring Latin rhythms and grooves, West Indian energy and straight-ahead jazz that swings. Among the guest musicians that DeJohnette hired are vocalists Bruce Hornsby, Bobby McFerrin and Esperanza Spalding. Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire and guitarist Lionel Loueke join the fun as well as established jazz musicians Jason Moran on piano, Tim Ries on saxophone and percussionist Luisito Quintero.
However, the most interesting element on Sound Travels is DeJohnette himself who not only plays drums, but plays piano on nearly all the tracks. Jack DeJohnette also composed all of the tunes (with the exception of “Dirty Ground” which he wrote with Bruce Hornsby) last July 2011 when he was touring Europe with Keith Jarrett’s trio. The songs are real and not too far from his home turf which make Sound Travels a really strong statement about DeJohnette as a composer and musician. He relied strongly on his own indie background, working his guest musicians skillfully to get to the finish line.
What makes DeJohnette a great musician is that he pays close attention to the creative vision of his collaborators and doesn’t compromise. As a result, the nine songs chosen for Sound Travels reflect their high standards and ability to deliver the grooves, melodic architecture and vitality that lifts this project to another level unlike any of DeJohnette’s previous ensemble recordings has attained.
Each song is played by a brilliant ensemble
“Enter Here” is a reflective solo welcome played by DeJohnette. It is lyrical, intuitive and is punctuated with a bell at the end. As the chime fades, the album continues with the upbeat Latin rhythms of “Luisito Serena Salsa,” a salsa written for DeJohnette’s percussionist Luisito Quintero. It features the vocalese of Esperanza Spalding improvising over the chord changes of the first solo section. This song is so cool, so laid-back and conjures up visions of a relaxful night on a balmy beach.
Bruce Hornsby’s vocals offer the same kind of funky groove and Delta Blues style that you hear in New Orleans during Mardi Gras on “Dirty Ground” while Bobby McFerrin’s trademark vocalese makes “Oneness” one of the best songs on the recording. The call-and-response section with Jack DeJohnette is classic and shows the genius of the two improvising as DeJohnette plays the piano.
The direction DeJohnette takes for “Sonny Light” (his tribute to tenor saxophone titan Sonny Rollins) is one that you would not expect. It is a calypso-type of dance tune steeped in West Indian rhythms that Lionel Loueke plays on nylon string guitar. It is unlike any song closely associated with Sonny Rollins but the happy, lively feeling it exudes makes it memorable and entertaining.
“Indigo Dreamscape” was originally heard on DeJohnette’s 1990 recording titled Parallel Realities which featured Herbie Hancock and Pat Metheny. This rendition features a new arrangement that includes Esperanza Spalding on bass and the addition of horns. The title track is sequenced in the center of the recording and features Loueke, Spalding and Quintero. The recording ends with DeJohnette, solo on piano performing “Home,” a gospel-flavored offering that showcases Jack’s impeccable pianism.
About Jack DeJohnette
As one of music’s most adventurous and prolific drummers, Jack DeJohnette is among music’s most revered artists. The GRAMMY winner will turn 70 years young this year and add a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Fellowship, the highest U.S. honor for jazz musicians, to his long list of accolades.
To learn more about Jack DeJohnette and his upcoming concert information, please visit his website at www.jackdejohnette.com.
Source: Band, Jack DeJohnette. Sound Travels. Comp. Jack DeJohnette. 2012.
