Legendary band leader Sun Ra, who famously claimed to be from Saturn, isn´t the only jazz alien sent torescue mankind from itself. Kwyboard player and singer Chivo Funge (aka Trevor Warren) apparently arrived on Earth in 1966 since when he´s been on a mission to create something new that brings together jazz, rolk, folk and world music.
To that end he´s recruited sax and flute player Theo Travis, bassist Dudley Phillips, drummer Nic France, and guitarist Ayo Akintonwa, some of the best players available, to record debut album Blind Energy, which it´s hoped will somehow rescue humanity from it´s spiral of self destruction.
Whether this rather esoteric recording will achieve it´s aims is open to debate, but if nothing else it will certainly give pause for thought with its sheer inventiveness, superlative musicianship, and a level of oddness that should appeal to a huge cross-section of the record-buying public, from hip jazzniks to prog-rock space cadets.
From the laid-back lounge jazz of ´Greasy Pole´ to the neo-psychedelia of ´Mirror On The Wall´ and the cautionary ´Tensions´, there´s so much going on musically here that it takes a degree of commitment to fully appreciate these complex yet accessible compositions, but that commitment´s well worth the effort.
Dave Haslam
R2 Magazine
lyrics
I’m an iMan in my iLand
I have the world in my iHand
So smart so dumb
In a bubble from the rubble
All pressing round
All one alone
Bubble up head to head
Foam awhile insect style
Form cocoons swarm dragoons
Interest at our hearts
Alone all one
credits
from Blind Energy,
released December 4, 2016
Vocals, guitar, programming - Chivo Funge; Bass - Dom Lawrance; Percussion - Hossam Ramzy; Backing vocals - Ximena Hidalgo; Didgeridoo - Mark Robson; Flute - Theo Travis
Music by Trevor Warren; lyrics by Richard Davies (MCPS/PRS 2016)
Recorded at Molino Studios Spain by Trevor Warren
Mastered by Stuart Bruce
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