1. The Blues
2. Comin’ and Goin’
3. Witchi Tai To
4. African Blues
Jim Pepper – Tenor sax and vocals
Amina Claudine Myers – Piano and vocals
Anthony Cox – Bass
Leopoldo Fleming – Percussion
It
was a good night at the Raab Jazz Festival
in Austria on 19 May, 1991, when tenorist/singer
Jim Pepper got together with pianist/singer
Amina Claudine Myers for a session of uninhibited
jazz and blues. Don Cherry was supposed to
appear with Pepper but he was nowhere to be
found, so Amina happily stepped in and the
result was aural magic.
Pepper
and Myers are in many ways well suited: both
having experience not only in jazz but in
other realms, including involvement with avant-garde
groups like Charlie Haden’s Liberation Music
Orchestra. Amina’s grounding in gospel and
blues is evident in her heartfelt vocals on
the opening track, which turns out to be Billie
Holiday’s classic Fine and Mellow.
Jim and Amina’s intensity is heard in their
powerful solos on the bluesy Comin’ and
Goin’.
Witchi
Tai To is Jim Pepper’s best-known composition,
reflecting his Native-§American roots. Jim
sings it with conviction, sympathetically
backed by Amina’s piano and vocals. The final
African Blues continues the World Music
input, with Amina chanting with heartfelt
vigour, Jim abetting with forceful tenor sax,
and Leopoldo Fleming adding a punchy solo
on conga drums. The excellent recording captures
the full excitement of this live set, recorded
the year before Jim Pepper’s premature death
at the age of 50. This album lasts for only
about 50 minutes but it is highly recommendable.
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
Pao PAO 10330
