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Local Grooves Babatunde Lea A West African chant to Yemaya, the Yoruban goddess of the ocean, flows into the North American Negro spiritual "Sometime I Feel Like a Motherless Child" during an a cappella interlude that connects two movements of Babatunde Lea's Suite Unseen: Summoner of the Ghost. The Vallejo-based trap drummer, hand percussionist, and composer has long delved into the many musical dimensions of the African diaspora, but with this ambitious recording he explores the spiritual side as well, using the a cappella section to call on ancestors who perished during the Middle Passage and later, over a furiously syncopated funk groove, to summon John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Count Basie, Cal Tjader, Stan Getz, Bill Evans, Miles Davis, and others in a decidedly multiracial roster of giants of African American music. The suite's five movements do not segue into each other; they're broken up by the compositions of trombonist Steve Turre and saxophonist Richard Howell – both of whom appear as members of Lea's sextet – among others. Turre and Howell's beefy ensemble voicings at times recall those of Abdullah Ibrahim, as does the sweetness of some melodies. The only pop standard of the bunch is James Taylor's "Fire and Rain," but it too gets a spiritual twist along the lines of Coltane's "A Love Supreme." Babatunde Lea plays Wed/13, Yoshi's, Oakl. (510) 238-9200, www.yoshis.com. (Lee Hildebrand) The Struts There is a certain comfort found in the East Bay rock scene. Not that things don't change, but East Bay stalwarts like the Cuts, hot punk boys and girls who work at the Whole Foods on Telegraph, and lazy afternoons spent stoopin' it with a 40 and some friends are traditions that never seem to die. And so Oakland five-piece the Struts fit right into this comfort zone. Their five-song self-titled CD-R rages with energy, accessibility, and soul. There's no irony or obscurity here – these are R&B and soul-inspired hits that'll make you wanna shimmy on the dance floor, clasp your hands to your chest, run in place, and scream 'cuz your favorite band is playing your favorite song. The distortion on Farrah Ancell's vocals does little to downplay her powerful voice, a full-on wail on the CD-R's first surf-rocky song, "I Wanna Be Your Driver." The standout is definitely "Lookin' Back," with its catchy and ridiculous mouthful: "I was looking back to see if he was looking back to see if I was looking back to him." Their press kit claims the Struts aren't a nostalgia act, but I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing to be one – they've still got it going on, here and now. (Sarah Han) Mail stuff for review to Sarah Han, Bay Guardian Building, 135 Mississippi St., S.F. CA 94107. |
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