Open Me, A Higher Consciousness Of Sound And Spirit (2025)

"Over the past 50 years, Chicago drummer Kahil El’Zabar has been at the forefront of the avant garde in jazz. He has collaborated with Don Cherry and Dizzy Gillespie, but it is with his Ethnic Heritage Ensemble that El’Zabar has found himself most free. Across 15 albums he has tapped into west African polyrhythms, meditative ambience and soaring spirituality, producing a signature swing that is loose and laid-back without the groove falling apart. This record sees the addition of a string section, creating 12 tracks of typically soulful, freeform jazz. Playing through a mix of standards and originals, the album opens with an ingeniously languorous version of Miles Davis’s "All Blues", emphasising the song’s infectious melody through Alex Harding’s yearning baritone solo. El’Zabar’s own compositions, meanwhile, showcase the versatility of his playing style. The album demonstrates the quiet power of El’Zabar’s experience, creating movement through minimal expression." (The Observer; 4 uit 5 sterren)