Harris Eisenstadt - Guewel

Harris Eisenstadt has carved an interesting niche for himself compositionally, focusing on interesting material delivered through unique instrumentation. On his new Cleanfeed release Guewel we are treated to a particularly fascinating program of Senegalese Mbalax music. The band interpreting the music made up of Eisenstadt on drums, Josh Sinton on baritone sax, Mark Taylor on french horn, Nate Wooley on trumpet, and Taylor Ho Bynum on cornet and flugelhorn. It's a conceptual followup to his 2003 release Jalolu that featured similar instrumentation and a focus on the music of Africa.

The result of the non-traditional instrumentation is that certain aspects of the Mbalax tunes are highlighted in ways that they wouldn't be in their original forms. Certain elements, melodic or harmonic, are emphasized rather than blended, or at the very least blended in a strikingly different manner.

Add in a healthy dose of improvisation to the mix, no surprise given the credentials and focuses of the musicians involved, and we get a rather stunning program of music.

I'm familiar with less than half of the 5 tracks' original versions, although I will certainly seek out the source material now to compare. It is certainly rich in melodic and rhythmic inspiration, and Eisenstadt is a worthy interpreter having spent time in Senegal studying the music. Some of the melodies played are downright catchy.

While it's sometimes difficult to parse the transitions between the arranged and improvised sections, often occurring somewhat abruptly, they are positioned in such a way that the changes are always refreshing. Eisenstadt has an impeccable sense of time both on the drums and in laying out the overall structures of the songs, and the musicians on the record execute it all with a relaxed ease. After repeated listens I also must say that it is a truly fun album.

The instrumentation creates a lot of space for the melodies and improvisation to breath. A great record and concept, and certainly amongst my top records of 2008, a list I still haven't managed to compile.

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