Keyboardist and founder/musical director of the Atlanta-based afrobeat/funk ensemble Common Ground Collective Mausiki Scales’ second solo album WestWest Africa features an array of guest names, including vocalists Julie Dexter, Brenda Moorer, and Akua Taylor. The project also showcases the musicianship of Russell Gunn, Morgan Guerin, Kebbi Williams, Quinn Masonry, Ra Flautista, Alex Jones, Ali Barr, Edgar Clark Jr., Reginald Starling, and Kenton Bostick. The album effortlessly blends Jazz Fusion with funk and African Rhythms, the funky ‘The Solution’ is a pounding slab of soulful funk, the Roy Ayers feel of ‘Kaleidoscopic Universe’ and ‘When The Sun Comes Up’ highlights the quality of the vocals – at times there’s similarities with Fela as well as Eighties Ladies in the chant-like delivery – while tough jazz funk numbers like ‘Let The Drum Remind You’ and ‘Brother Sister’ showcase the extraordinary band’s powers. This is undoubtedly one of the best jazz albums to emerge in recent times – the more Afro-centric ‘Ethiopian Manifest’ and ‘First Nanas’ offer more shade to this brilliant set.
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Kaleidoscopic Universe
First Nanas
Where The Sun Comes Up
Amplify
Let The Drum Remind You
Pass Tradition
Serenity
Bantu Beetle
Mesmerized
Ethiopian Manifest
Brother Sister
Funk Like This
Mesmerized (Kai Alce Remix)
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