African Love Supreme-Ode to the Living Tree

east American to the west African coast  
travel  to the living tree for Andrew Cyrille and his Quintet 

A vital and very much underrated percussionist and bandleader, Cyrille, of Haitian  descent,

always brings a sense of the Motherland to his music, 

whether exploring free landscapes, or structured outings like most on this date.

Apropos this was recorded in Dakar, Senegal during an African sojourn.

The band is a robust assemblage of  David Murray on tenor sax and bass clarinet,

Oliver Lake on alto sax, keyboardist Adegoke Steve Colson, bassist Fred Hopkins

and guest Senegalese percussionist Mor Thiam on two tracks.

There is a feeling of Trane meets Sun Ra at the corner of Murray & Lake on this date

 as the spirits of those two grand masters are in the air.

 The session invocation is a Cyrille percussion duet with Thiam,

 and the two close with the benediction "Water, Water, Water." 

In between the Trane roars down the tracks courtesy

 of the "Acknowledgment" and "Resolution" sections of "A Love Supreme,"

 and swinging business is dealt with on J.C.'s "Mr. P.C." 

The title track invokes the spirit of Ra, made all the more resonant 

by Colson's eerie use of electric keyboard.

Willard Jenkins

Andrew Cyrille -drums, cymbals

David Murray-bass clarinet, tenor saxophone

Oliver Lake-alto saxophone

Adegoke Steve Colson -electric piano

Fred Hopkins-bass

Mor Thiam-percussion

Recorded 18 & 19/12/1994 at XIPPI Studio, Dakar, Senegal

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