The Wire playlist: Kahil El’Zabar

Ergänzend zu seinem Invisible Jukebox-Interview mit Kahil El’Zabar in The Wire 481 bespricht Howard Mandel Stücke aus der langen Karriere des Schlagzeugers und Komponisten.

Seit mehr als 50 Jahren – seit der Gründung des Ethnic Heritage Ensemble im Jahr 1973 – hat sich Kahil El’Zabar als einer der führenden Vertreter der aus Chicago stammenden Great Black Music etabliert, die afrozentrische Traditionen mit zeitgenössischer Sensibilität und Optionen verbindet. Der Perkussionist, der singt, komponiert, arrangiert und sowohl mit etablierten Meistern als auch mit aufstrebenden jungen Künstlern zusammenarbeitet, ist bereits international auf Tournee gewesen, hat mehr als 60 Alben veröffentlicht und sich das Verdienst erworben, neue Innovatoren der AACM (Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians) eingeführt zu haben, den Acid Jazz auf der Basis von Roots zu etablieren, den Afrofuturismus voranzutreiben, bevor dieser Begriff geprägt wurde, und den Beat aus alten Quellen zu erhalten, um den freien musikalischen Ausdruck zu fördern.

Ethnic Heritage Ensemble
“The Seeker”
From Three Gentlemen From Chikago (Moers, 1981)

“I had a dream where I saw a massive elephant’s face, head-on,” El’Zabar once said, recalling what inspired his formation of The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble. “The ears became the two tenor saxophonists back to back, and I appeared between them, as though my earth drum was the elephant’s trunk in the middle. It was a powerful vision, which signalled to me that two horns and a drum could be quite a powerful combination. We became like an elephant: nothing was going to stand in our way of getting to where we needed to get to, on all fronts!” Saxophonists ‘Light’ Henry Huff (on soprano) and Edward Wilkerson (on alto sax and slide whistle), with El’Zabar plucking a kalimba (aka sanza, mbira, thumb piano) comprised the original EHE lineup. This live recording of their breakthrough performance at the 1980 Moers Festival established the group’s sound and ethos.

Ethnic Heritage Ensemble
“Pt 2”
From Impressions (Red, 1982)

Recorded in Bologna in 1981, the year following their European debut in Germany, this track reveals the meditative coherence of Huff, Wilkerson and El’Zabar partaking of jazz’s long-running if late-to-be-acknolwledged spiritual strain. Wilkerson uses ‘little instruments’ – a shaker, net of beads or shells, a whistle – under Huff’s sax, a practice popularised by AACM ensembles, before harmonising for the trio’s conclusion.

Kahil El’Zabar’s The Ritual* with Billy Bang & Malachi Favors
“Little Gwen”
From Another Kind Of Groove (Sound Aspects, 1987)

Titled for El’Zabar’s mother, this gentle track highlighting the strong musical bond between the thumb pianist/percussionist/leader and violinist Billy Bang is a counterpart to the album and tunes dedicated to El’Zabar’s father, ‘Big Cliff’, aka Clifton Henry Blackburn, Sr (see below). Bassist Malachi Favors, best known for his role in The Art Ensemble Of Chicago, mentored the teenage El’Zabar and sustained the relationship for 35 years, until his death in 2004.

Kahil El’Zabar’s Ritual Trio with special guest Billy Bang
“Blue Rwanda”
From Big Cliff (Delmark, 1995)

Here we find El’Zabar beating a djembe-like African drum while uttering encouragement and growls to bassist Malachi Favor’s implacable ostinato, tenor saxophonist Ari Brown’s nobly mournful melody, and violinist Bang’s pizzicato flickings and clear, bowed flight. This live recording documents the finale of the band’s 1994 Chicago Jazz Festival appearance, and was the last occasion before his death for Big Cliff to hear his son’s music.

Kahil El’Zabar’s Ritual Trio featuring Billy Bang
“Malachi”
From Big M, A Tribute To Malachi Favors (Delmark, 2006)

El’Zabar thumbs his kalimba, blows flute and croons an elegy for bassist Favors, the elder who’d encouraged him from age 16 on. Ari Brown provides firm piano chords and Billy Bang picks at his strings while bassist Yosef Ben Israel, another AACM stalwart, adds his amens. The instruments’ superficially simple motifs syncopate as transparent layers of a rich current.

Ethnic Heritage Ensemble
“Oof”
From Mama’s House Live – 35th Anniversary Project (Katalyst, 2009)

Demonstrating further confidence in his extemporaneous singing, Kahil evinces a Bill Withers-like maturity while simultaneously drumming. The rhythm is grounded by a cowbell beat, perhaps played by alto saxophonist Ernest Dawkins, who completes this lineup of The Ethnic Heritage Ensemble with trumpeter Corey Wilkes (both Chicago AACM members, of course).

Ethnic Heritage Ensemble
“Black Is Back”
From Be Known Ancient/Future/Music (Spiritmuse, 2019)

As “Oof” from Mama’s House Live celebrates The EHE’s 35th anniversary, so “Black Is Back” marks it’s 45th. El’Zabar’s voice, his hands on his drums, and his body (if you could see or can imagine it) exert an inextricable presence. Russian born and educated Ian Maksin, former principal cellist of the New World Symphony directed by Michael Tilson Thomas, offers a supple bottom for baritone saxophonist Alex Harding, whose big, gritty lines strut with some of the rhythm and blues of New Orleans brass bands. Harding was also a protégé of baritone saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett, one of El’Zabar’s deceased heroes, while trumpeter Wilkes’s boldly arching phrases declare his admiration of the late, great Lester Bowie – with whom Kahil had recorded in a trio with Malachi Favors in 1985. All things come around again, but “Black Is Back” suggests Black never went away.

Kahil El’Zabar’s Spirit Groove
“Katon”
From Kahil El’Zabar’s Spirit Groove Featuring David Murray (Spiritmuse, 2020)

El’Zabar, wearing ankle bells, strikes a sombre cadence on mbira, matched way down deep by bassist Emma Dayhus, and decorated with a faint high octave figure falsetto, head tone, or most likely a synthesised bit from keyboardist Justin Dillard, whose piano solo drips with feeling. It all sets the stage for tenor saxophonist David Murray – in the line of tenor giants Kahil has worked with, which includes Pharoah Sanders, Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre and Archie Shepp – to issue one of his most discursive solos, pushing against the uppermost limits of his horn. Kahil responds by demonstrating how impactful the thin metal tongs of the kalimba can be.

Kahil El’Zabar
“Freedom March”
From Kahil El’Zabar’s America The Beautiful (Spiritmuse, 2020)

Composing, orchestrating and conducting an expanded ensemble that includes baritone saxophonist Hamiet Bluiett in his last recording, El’Zabar deploys interlocking and overlapping parts in a collective but structured improvisation. Cellist Tomeka Reid, trumpeter Corey Wilkes and violinist Samuel Williams contribute to the mix, capped with a frenzied break by alto saxophonist Dennis Winslett.

Kahil El’Zabar Quartet
“A Time For Healing”
From A Time For Healing (Spiritmuse, 2022)

El’Zabar’s kalimba sets the tone for a softly swinging theme to emerge. Trumpeter Corey Wilkes unfurls variations imaginatively, saxophonist Isaiah Collier tests it with fire, keyboardist Justin Dillard applies drone and guitaristic effects; the theme accepts it all. These players are among the current up-and-comers of the South Side of Chicago school of jazz out of blues, which in Kahil El’Zabar’s lifetime has produced (among many others) Sun Ra, Eddie Harris, the AACM, Celan Phil Cohran, Muhal Richard Abrams, Henry Threadgill, Anthony Braxton, Pete Cosey, Earth Wind & Fire, Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, Dinah Washington and The Staple Singers. To that heritage El’Zabar owes allegiance and offers a benediction.