Charlie Apicella & Iron City Meet The Griots Speak, Destiny Calling

 

Nowadays you might find all kinds of combinations on the Jazz scene and much of the time there is good ground broken, productive music made. I feel that way about the meeting of guitarist Charlie Apicella and his trio Iron City with the avant Afro-American Avant foursome of The Griots Speak on the album Destiny Calling (Origin Arts OA2 22214). It is a combination that works completely thanks to the big ears and musical attitudes of all concerned. So  Charlie holds forth soulfully on guitar  loosely enough to set up a rootedness to the Avant freedom surrounding his organist Brad Whitely's stylings, then topping off the trio is Austin Walker's swinging drums, all told at times a little Tony Williams Lifetime adventuresomenesss, th pugh not as far advantced in that as the original Willam;s outfit.  

All the that the all-star avant togetherness of reed ace Daniel Carter who doubles on piano and trumpet nicely, then on bass the New York kingpin of outness William Parker who doubles on the Afro doson ngoni, the gralla double-reed wind instrument and the pocket trumpet, then the conga percussion vet ace Juma Sultan on congas, shakers, etc.

Put it all together and it is an adventure of an album of out grooving everyone is up for. Good show, this.

Both groups give plenty of cound color variety, soul and energy in tandem, and in various settings. In the end I've listened to the whole of it a bunch of times and it rings true and solidly in a very musical way.

The album ends with the soul funk groove "Sparks" and amen brothers and sisters we get there for sure. The Afro Element and organ groove and a little Miles electric band looseness and new thing looseness as a undercurrent, that all works very well; in all it  is the sum of the totality and happily it melds together in an original amalgam that keeps sounding good as you play it repeatedly. Bravo. Check this one out.

Here is a cut to hear: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVvoYXsd1MkBL9Twk6nxqQA