one Asian under a groove

*Batsumi (1974/2011): Wide-armed Soweto fusion: “Lishonile” transitions from sax-led jazz to drums and drone to flute soul, while “Itumeleng” interpolates “Fur Elise”. Holding the album together is a groove, propelled by both African and Western percussion as well as agile acoustic bassist Zulu Bidi, you could build a culture around. Contending with Cohen for my album of the year so far.

*Chris Berry & the Bayaka of Yandoumbe: Oka! (2011): In which Central African Republic pygmies listen to recordings of themselves, then add overdubs, and yeah it sounds like Tune-Yards. When capitalism gives the Bayaka children empty plastic bottles, they make bottlefunk.

*Hospitality: They’re not entirely sanguine about “Liberal Arts”, but that song title indicates this Brooklyn band wants to establish a beachhead for librarindie on their side of the Atlantic. The leadoff “Eighth Avenue” succeeds with gratuitous chord-colours culminating in noise — but only for a couple of bars. The rest gets by on Amber Papini’s heart-dotted descriptions of New York social and professional networks that can seem like minefields to young semiprofessionals struggling to survive emotionally and financially.

Chick Corea/Eddie Gomez/Paul Motian: Further Explorations: Corea is an underachiever, but give him a destination and a GPS, and the dude can play. Bill Evans-associates Gomez and the late Motian are the hyped-up navigational voices in this rapidly-failing metaphor.

The Original Sound of Cumbia (2011): Not as immediate as the more focused and pop-friendly Cartagena! I can hear the hooks on Original Sound, though I only remember the Donald Duck one, and I’m shuffling about in my seat, but have yet to get up to get down, though that might just be because I’ve had too much Korean barbecue lately. Suspect this is a case where I’ll need the liner notes to get my historically-minded groove on. I might actually get a paycheck in June or July, and am looking forward to being able to afford CDs again.