Jan Garbarek Quartet – Afric Pepperbird (ECM)

Saxophonist Jan Garbarek has changed with time and age, but even on "Afric Pepperbird", his first album for ECM, which was to establish an inseparable bond with the label, he invites us into a world that is playful yet mature. Half of the album is made up of miniatures, of which "Skarabée" and "Mah-Jong" are the most precise and delicate, infused with drummer Jon Christensen's distinctive cymbal work and overall compositional sensibility. "MYB" and "Concentus", on the other hand, fall like seeds into the album's fertile soil.

Bassist Arild Andersen's steady bass line assures us that the title track can swing confidently, spraying Saharan charm like fresh honey, while "Blow Away Zone" features an adventurous Terje Rypdal on guitar and an ethereal solo from Garbarek squeezing through an opaque tornado of bass and drums. The twelve-and-a-half-minute "Beast Of Kommodo" is rewarding fun on a gigantic scale. Garbarek gives his all and mixes roaring with whistled reveries with equal conviction. The set ends with "Blupp", a smiling froth of percussion and vocals that doesn't describe its title, but rather demonstrates it.

Along with "Witchi-Tai-To", this could be the quintessential Garbarek album, even for those who don't normally care for his style. Whatever your jazz tastes, whatever your opinion of Garbarek and the label he calls home, this is a spirited and strong performance that deserves your attention.

Reviews

"The finely pressed reissue shows how excellent Jan Erik Kongshaug's recordings were back then." (AUDIO+stereoplay, April 2024) "Afric Pepperbird impresses with a warm, spatial sound in which every note [...] is perfectly reproduced. [...] an excellent dynamic spectrum, the interplay of orchestra and saxophone is reproduced flawlessly." (MINT, April 2024)