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CD
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IOR 771672CD
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"One of three releases marking the 100th birthday of Randy Weston. It features previously unreleased live material. Randy Weston is known to the public thru the lens of the small ensemble of the African Rhythm group, recognition that is very well deserved and his signature around the world. Randy Weston is not only in direct lineage of Duke Ellington and Thelonious Monk, he was also the real integrator of African music into the Jazz World. In the expansive landscape of jazz piano, few artists have as compellingly fused their cultural heritage with the jazz tradition as Randy Weston and Monty Alexander. Though separated by generation and geography -- Weston from Brooklyn with deep African roots, and Alexander from Kingston, Jamaica --both pianists have carved unique paths, expanding the language of jazz while honoring its origins. Together, Weston and Alexander remind listeners that jazz is not just an American art form -- it is a living, breathing conversation between continents, histories, and identities. They speak in different dialects of the same language, but their messages are equally vital: jazz is about where people come from as much as where they are going -- and through rhythm, melody, and memory, they find their truest voices. In 1988, the renowned Spanish promoter Jordi Suñol of International Jazz Productions organized a short European tour to present these two grand masters of the piano. The tour visited the Montreux Jazz Festival, the Zaragoza Jazz Festival, and the magical Ramatuelle Jazz Festival. The format of each concert featured a first set with each pianist performing with his percussionist, followed by a second set in which the two masters performed together. Of course, the supporting musicians contribute deeply to this achievement. African percussionist Eric Asanté from Ghana evokes the passing of a caravan before your eyes, while Bobby Thomas transports you to Jamaica with his masterful hand drumming."
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