''Freedom Jazz Dance'' is an album by Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, a jazz band formed by percussionist

Kahil El'Zabar Kahil El'Zabar (born Clifton Blackburn; November 11, 1953) is an American jazz multi-instrumentalist (mainly a percussionist) and composer. He regularly records for Delmark Records. Life and work El'Zabar was born in Chicago, Illinois. He attend ...

, who is joined by trombonist

Joseph Bowie Joseph Bowie (born October 17, 1953) is an American jazz trombonist and vocalist. The brother of trumpeter Lester Bowie, Joseph is known for leading the jazz-punk group Defunkt and for membership in the Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. Career Bo ...

, saxophonist Ernest Dawkins and special guest guitarist Fareed Haque. It was recorded in 1999 and released on Delmark.

Reception

In her review for

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...

, Stacia Proefrock states: "The four men create a fine balance, with the percussive elements of El'Zabar and the other players providing a strongly Africanized structure upon which to hang the music, while the horns and Fareed Haque's guitar playing pull the sound back in the direction of jazz." ''

The Penguin Guide to Jazz ''The Penguin Guide to Jazz'' is a reference work containing an encyclopedic directory of jazz recordings on CD which were (at the time of publication) currently available in Europe or the United States. The first nine editions were compiled b ...

'' says: "The addition of Haque gives the band yet another sound, even while working off the same formula of two horns and a drum.. The result is arguably the best EHE album to date." In a review for ''

JazzTimes ''JazzTimes'' was an American print magazine devoted to jazz. Published 10 times a year, it was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1970 by Ira Sabin as the newsletter ''Radio Free Jazz'' to complement his record store. Coverage After a decade ...

'' Christopher Potter states: "Augmented by guitarist Fareed Haque, ''Freedom Jazz Dance'' elevates the Ensemble's usual two-horns-and-drums lineup to a higher level of tonal beauty."Potter, Christophe
''Freedom Jazz Dance'' review
at ''

''. The ''

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

'' review by Derek Taylor says: "Following along the same confident path trod by his predecessors Haque refuses slip comfortably into the role of complacent guest star. His nimble fingers shape subtle, but firm, string sculptures that effectively shift the dynamics of the group in new and provocative ways."Taylor, Derek
''Freedom Jazz Dance'' review
at

Track listing

:''All compositions by Kahil El'Zabar except as indicated'' # "Freedom Jazz Dance" (

Eddie Harris Eddie Harris (October 20, 1934 – November 5, 1996) was an American jazz musician, best known for playing tenor saxophone and for introducing the electrically amplified saxophone. He was also fluent on the electric piano and organ. His best-k ...

) – 7:44 # "Katon" – 8:54 # "Catch Me" – 7:52 # "Mama's House" – 11:27 # "So Low But Not Alone" – 12:37 # "

This Little Light of Mine "This Little Light of Mine" is a Gospel music, gospel song that originated in the 1920s, when it was first sung in Christian churches and penitentiaries. The hymn is often attributed to evangelist Harry Dixon Loes who is said to have written it ...

" (Traditional) – 6:47 # "Barundi" – 11:06

Personnel

–

drums The drum is a member of the percussion instrument, percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel–Sachs classification system, it is a membranophones, membranophone. Drums consist of at least one Acoustic membrane, membrane, c ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a percussion mallet, beater including attached or enclosed beaters or Rattle (percussion beater), rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or ...

, African thumb piano *

–

trombone The trombone (, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the Brass instrument, brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's lips vibrate inside a mouthpiece, causing the Standing wave, air c ...

, percussion * Ernest Dawkins –

alto sax The alto saxophone is a member of the saxophone family of woodwind instruments. Saxophones were invented by Belgian instrument designer Adolphe Sax in the 1840s and patented in 1846. The alto saxophone is pitched in the key of E, smaller th ...

tenor sax The tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor and the alto are the two most commonly used saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B (while ...

, percussion * Fareed Haque –

acoustic guitar An acoustic guitar is a musical instrument in the string family. When a string is plucked, its vibration is transmitted from the bridge, resonating throughout the top of the guitar. It is also transmitted to the side and back of the instrument, ...

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external electric Guitar amplifier, sound amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar. It uses one or more pickup (music technology), pickups ...

, percussion

References

{{Authority control 1999 albums Kahil El'Zabar albums Delmark Records albums