''Ancestral Recall '' is a studio album by American jazz trumpeter
Christian Scott
Christian Scott (born March 31, 1983), known professionally as Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah (formerly Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah), is an American jazz trumpeter, multi instrumentalist, composer, and producer.
He has been nominated for six Gramm ...
released on March 22, 2019 by
Ropeadope Records
Ropeadope Records is an American record label known for recordings in a variety of genres including jazz, hip hop, gospel, and electronic music. The label, now led by Louis Marks, was founded in 1999 by Andy HurwitzAndy Hurwitz"Ropeadope carves i ...
label. The album also features poet and songwriter
Saul Williams
Saul Stacey Williams (born February 29, 1972) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, musician, poet, writer, and actor. He is known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop, and for his lead roles in the 1998 independent film ''Slam'' ...
.
Background
The record is a follow-up album to his critically acclaimed triptych of albums named ''The Centennial Trilogy'' released in 2017. However, unlike the 2017 trilogy, ''Ancestral Recall'' is filled with many guest vocals. Scott explained that the title track and the whole album are "built as a map to decolonize sound; to challenge previously held misconceptions about some cultures of music; to codify a new folkloric tradition and begin the work of creating a national set of rhythms". To do so, he has weaved West African, First Nation, and African Diaspora/Caribbean rhythms and styles. He also mentioned that "All forms of expression in sound are valid, as all people are... this is the mantra of ''Ancestral Recall''". The album consists of 12 tracks written mostly by Scott. The album was recorded on April 10, 15; September 6, 20; December 1, 2 of 2018 by Dave Weingarten at The Champagne Room West—and on April 29 and 30 of 2018 by Nick Guttmann at The Parlor, New Orleans, LA. The title track was released on February 5, 2019.
''
Wales Arts Review
''Wales Arts Review'' is a critical writing hub for Wales. Originally published fortnightly, the site has published daily since 2016. It offers a critique, by Welsh and Wales-based writers, of various social and cultural aspects of Wales.
Histor ...
'' included the record in its list of the best 50 albums of 2019. Also,
NPR
National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other ...
included the album in its list of best music of 2019, ranking it #15.
Reception
At Metacritic, that assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 88, based on five reviews, which indicates "universal acclaim".
''
JazzTimes
''JazzTimes'' is an American 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 of growth ...
'' included the album in the top 40 new albums of the year, ranking it #8. The review stated, "With its layers of roiling African-suffused percussion crossbreeding with Western instrumentation, gripping spoken-word interludes, and Adjuah’s own trumpet and electronics, ''Ancestral Recall'' teems with audacity and authority."
Giovanni Russonello of ''
The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
'' stated "Since 2015 he has placed a new emphasis on patterned, polyrhythmic drumming, using a tightened-up approach and more explicitly melding the sounds of modern hip-hop with ancient, diasporic rhythms... The new album unifies the winning elements of Mr. Scott’s past work: the historical syncretism, the tensile band energy, the powerful physicality. Mr. Scott is not a collegiate-sounding trumpet player, and he plays with as much deference to New Orleanian and continental African traditions as to bebop. As a result, he plays fewer notes than most jazz trumpeters today, and his projection is more immediately majestic. He is following a path of his own, and so far, it’s still breaking new ground". Piotr Orlov of ''
Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog.
Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
'' added "On ''Ancestral Recall'', few elements are left tethered to the time-worn rules of “jazz,” yet, as the title makes abundantly clear, the past remains paramount, and old global cultures the preferred engines into the future. Led by voice, drums, and electronics, this version of stretch music cuts most recognizable instrumental sounds loose".
In her review for ''
DownBeat
' (styled in all caps) is an American music magazine devoted to "jazz, blues and beyond", the last word indicating its expansion beyond the jazz realm which it covered exclusively in previous years. The publication was established in 1934 in Chi ...
'', Suzanne Lorge commented, "At times on ''Ancestral Recall'', trumpeter Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah’s playing is so full of meaning that you almost can make out the intended words."
''
Relix
''Relix'', originally and occasionally later ''Dead Relix'', is a magazine that focuses on live and improvisational music. The magazine was launched in 1974 as a handmade newsletter devoted to connecting people who recorded Grateful Dead concert ...
s
Jeff Tamarkin
Jeff Tamarkin is an American editor, author and historian specializing in music and popular culture.
Career
For 15 years Tamarkin was editor of '' Goldmine'', a magazine for record and CD collectors. Prior to that, he served as the first editor ...
wrote, "This is relentlessly powerful stuff, yet it’s never overwhelming—it floats in the air more than it pounds. Adjuah doesn’t need to work overtime to find his way into your head and heart; ''Ancestral Recall'' welcomes you in."
Matt Bauer of ''
Exclaim!
''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...
'' stated "Far more textured, and with a deeper rhythmic foundation than Adjuah's previous offerings, ''Ancestral Recall'' is a syncopated and immersive delight... Cohesive and eclectic, ''Ancestral Recall'' is a sonic expedition to remember".
Matt Collar of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
commented "Ancestral Recall is a stylistically and culturally dynamic album borne out of Scott's deep awareness of his New Orleans roots and African American history, and his ability to push his forward-thinking post-bop skills into musical traditions far beyond jazz. However, the real revelation is that the album also manages to feel intensely personal, imbued throughout with a deep sensuality and romantic creative vision that feels distinctly his own".
Jim Hynes of ''Glide Magazine'' stated "Close your eyes and imagine a New Orleans multi-cultural street parade 50 or 60 years from now – pulsating rhythms, chants, and soaring horns that shift seamlessly from acoustic to electronic modes. There’s just so much to feast the ears on, that it takes multiple listens to begin to digest it. All forms of expression in sound are valid, according to Adjuah. You’ll hear more than you can possibly count, many you’ve never heard before, especially when considering the amalgam of all".
Track listing
Personnel
*Christian Scott – african drums, drums, flugelhorn, keyboards, mallets, percussion, siren, trumpet, vocals
*Weedie Braimah – percussion, vocals
*Mike Larry Draw – vocals
*Corey Fonville – drums
*Amadou Kouyate – percussion
*Kris Funn – bass
*Lawrence Fields – piano
*Devan Mayfield – vocals
*Themba Mkhatshwa – percussion
*Elena Pinderhughes – flute
*Munir Zakee Richard – percussion
*
Logan Richardson
Logan Richardson (born July 29, 1980, Kansas City, Missouri) is an alto saxophonist, composer, bandleader, and producer.
Richardson debuted as a bandleader with his 2007 album ''Cerebral Flow''. He is also a member of the band NEXT Collective. R ...
– alto
*Chris Turner – vocals
*
Saul Williams
Saul Stacey Williams (born February 29, 1972) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, musician, poet, writer, and actor. He is known for his blend of poetry and alternative hip hop, and for his lead roles in the 1998 independent film ''Slam'' ...
– vocals
*
Qmillion
Qmillion (born Keith Lewis, in the US), is an American record producer, mix engineer, composer, and songwriter based in Los Angeles, California, United States. Qmillion's achievement for recording and mixing recording artist Robert Glasper's cri ...
– mixer
Chart performance
References
{{Authority control
2019 albums
Christian Scott albums
Ropeadope Records albums