General Article name: Johnny Lives
Genre: Jazz Product type: CD Label: STEEPLECHASE Number of tracks: 8 Duration: 60:21 Tracklist CD - 1 1. Pierre Dørge / New Jungle Orchestra - Flying Out With Sas 5:59 2. Pierre Dørge / New Jungle Orchestra - Smile at the Foot of the Ladder 7:55 3. Pierre Dørge / New Jungle Orchestra - Lilli Goes to Town 7:52 4. Pierre Dørge / New Jungle Orchestra - Manilla, Manilla 5:53 5. Pierre Dørge / New Jungle Orchestra - Waltz for Two Camels 9:22 6. Pierre Dørge / New Jungle Orchestra - Mbizo, Mbizo 12:27 7. Pierre Dørge / New Jungle Orchestra - Root Eating Rag 5:13 8. Pierre Dørge / New Jungle Orchestra - Flying Home With Sas 5:09   Description Description

The extraordinary South African bassist Johnny "Mbizo" Dyani, who died in 1986, had been a regular member of the New Jungle Orchestra, a Danish band led by Pierre Dorge that meshed jazz and African music, and this album was recorded in tribute to him. When the band gets cooking, the confluence of West African (particularly Ghanaian) melodies and solos stemming largely from the free improvising tradition can be fresh and exhilarating. Dorge has a unique approach to his guitar work, stressing limpid, singing tones that sound almost more like a trumpet than a stringed instrument, and he's assembled a strong supporting cast, including Harry Beckett and avant-garde veteran John Tchicai. Previously, the band had sometimes suffered from a rhythmic anemia, but on this recording Dorge wisely imported the fine Chicago drummer Hamid Drake (making one of his earliest recorded appearances), and he goes far in keeping the music alive and pulsing. Unfortunately, the melodic material itself doesn't have quite the intoxicating irresistibility of the better pieces on the prior record, Even the Moon Is Dancing (with the exception of the delightful "Root Eating Rag"), so the listener is left a little bit unsatisfied relative to what might have been. Still, it's an enjoyable session and one worth hearing. ~ Brian Olewnick

Brian Olewnick

Contributors Director: Pierre Dørge Artist: Dorge Pierre & New Jungle Orchestra Current Distributor: Discovery Trombone: Kenneth Agerholm Performer: Pierre Dørge Keyboards: Irene Becker Sax (Tenor): John Tchicai Percussion: Thomas Dyani Performer: Pierre Dørge's New Jungle Orchestra Clarinet (Bass): John Tchicai Bass: Hugo Rasmussen Engineer: Flemming Rasmussen Record Label: SteepleChase Recorder: Flemming Rasmussen Drums: Hamid Drake Sax (Tenor): Morten Carlsen Sax (Alto): Jesper Zeuthen Ney Flute: Morten Carlsen Vibraphone: Bent Clausen Design: Per Grunnet Percussion: Marilyn Mazur Guitar: Pierre Dørge Trumpet: Harry Beckett