Alchemy Sound Project Afrika Love Review by Gary Hill
This disc lands under progressive rock because it's essentially fusion, and we put that style there. I like this release a lot. The brand of jazz presented here is quite effective. It's also varied and always interesting.
This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2021 Volume 4. More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2021.
Track by Track Review
The Fountain Horns bring the track and the album into being. The cut grows out from there into some killer fusion. There are some classy shifts and changes along the road. Parts of this lean on dissonance. I love the piano and bass workout later in the number. The piano work gets pretty crazed before it's all over and done.
Dark Blue Residue I really dig the tasty jazz stylings on this cut. There are some particularly potent musical passages here. Again there is some smoking hot piano work later in the track. This is really quite an energetic powerhouse that has more traditional jazz in the mix than the opener did. This includes a drum workout later, too.
Afrika Love The title track comes in gradually and rather tentative. A sedate melody emerges and grows. Some really soaring jazz eventually ensues as this continues to evolve. This is perhaps more traditional in its jazz approach than the two openers were, at least at times. There is clearly still plenty of fusion on board, too.
The Cadillac of Mountains There is even more traditional jazz in the mix here. It also has some world music aspects at times. This is a powerhouse jam that is among the most accessible music here. The bass dominated sections of this are so tasty. There is a killer piano led section later that drives home the fact that this is still fusion. Oh, and listen to that powerhouse drumming.
Kesii Opening with a real sense of mystery and drama, this cut grows outward from there with lots of style and charm. There are some sections of this later that make me think of Pet Metheny to some degree.
