In May I was fortunate to see Manu Katché in concert. It was at the May Jazz festival in Stavanger. I went not knowing what to expect, as I've heard quite a bit of other peoples music where Manu Katché plays the drumkit, for example Peter Gabriel, Sting, Jan Garbarek, and Dire Straits.
The concert turned out to be different from all of that. It was all his own original material, and if I were to try and describe it, I'd say it was laid-back jazz, with bits of modern electronic sounds and loops.
I liked it quite a lot.
So when I got home, I ordered his CD "Neighbourhood", and I've been listening to it quite a bit since I got my copy. Many of the same pieces, but on the recording they are without the electronics - it's totally acoustic. Tomasz Stanko on trumpet, Jan Garbarek on tenor saxophone, Marcin Wasilewski on piano, Slawomir Kurkiewicz on double bass, and of course Manu Katché on drums. And it feels even more laid-back and relaxed than the concert did. I love it.
It's an ECM recording, and if you've heard other ECM recordings you can probably imagine somewhat of its qualities.
Something ought to be said of the sound quality on this recording. Because it is truly outstanding. It is, to my ears, the most natural sounding record I have heard. I lack the vocabulary to describe such things, but I have never before heard such definition. It is like they are right here in front of me. It seems that all of the subtle nuances of their playing comes through. It is recorded in Rainbow Studios, and engineered by Jan Erik Kongshaug.
Highly recommended. Not a bass-super-chops recording, but great music.
http://www.manu-katche.com/
