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Peace Pipe, the new album from bassist and composer Ben Allison has a different sound than his last album, Riding the Nuclear Tiger. The new one is built around the sound of Mamadou Diabate's Kora1 playing—and the other instruments' sounds seem to bend to sympathize with its sound. Peace Pipe includes seven compositions by Allison, one by Diabete and one cover of a Neil Young tune.
Some highlights of the album include: "Third Rail," which was inspired by Duke Ellington and the New York subway and includes some percussive bass playing (performed with a folded New York transit MetroCard) and a fine kora solo. "Slap Happy" is a multi-part composition with a nice arrangement of themes. Its sound is quite textural with a dreamy tenor sax solo. The title tune, "Peace Pipe," has a funky piano solo from Frank Kimbrough that reminds me a bit of Horace Silver.
On Mamadou's composition "Dakan," Frank Kimbrough doubles the bass line on muted piano. The tune also has a great tenor sax solo from Michael Blake which is harmonically adventerous and emotionally intense. Allison has also arranged a nice cover of Neil Young's "Goin' Back."
Peace Pipe is one of the best albums of the year with memorable melodies, fascinating textures and inspired soloing.
1The kora is a West African instrument that has strings drawn over a notched bridge. It uses a cut gourd covered with a cow skin as a resonator, looks somewhat like a harp, and has a sound somewhat between a guitar and a lute.
Release Date: 10 September 2002
Ben Allison:
Peace Pipe (Palmetto)
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last update 18 March 2003