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| Ahmed Abdullah’s Diaspora at Sistas’ Place  Ahmed Abdullah's Diaspora (Dispersions of the Spirit of Ra) featuring Charles Burnham, violin, D.D. Jackson, piano, Radu, bass, drummer Reggie Nicholson and vocalist/poet Monique Ngozi Nri will perform Saturday, January 19, 2013 at Sistas' Place, 456 Nostrand Avenue (corner of Jefferson Avenue) with sets at 9 and 10:30pm. Ahmed Abdullah's Diaspora is a band that plays music from the African Diaspora intertwined with poetry, vocals and the music of Sun Ra. Trumpeter/composer/educator, Ahmed Abdullah will use the performance of his band Diaspora as a means of calling attention to a very important event--the release of The Group, Live from 1986 on NoBusiness Records!!!That recording features the original members of The Group (Ahmed Abdullah, Billy Bang, Marion Brown, Andrew Cyrille, Fred Hopkins, and Sirone) in a performance from September 13th 1986 at the Jazz Center of New York, 380 Lafeyette Street. The latest version of The Group (Ahmed Abdullah, Charles Burnham, Bluiett, Andrew Cyrille, D.D. Jackson and Bob Stewart) is now available for booking. Check out the Youtube clip HERE The Group: Live (1986 [2012], NoBusiness): The name, even with its definite article, doesn't do them justice. They came out of the New York loft scene, gigged around for a couple years, and left nothing but this newly discovered masterpiece. The booklet shows two quintet posters: their May 3 (1986?) "world premier" with Ahmed Abdullah (trumpet), Marion Brown (alto sax), Billy Bang (violin), Sirone (bass), and Andrew Cyrille; and another from Sept. 12-13, 1986, with Fred Hopkins on bass. This recording, from Sept. 13, uses both bassists. They play five pieces, with Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat" and Brown's "La Piacita" running 18 minutes each, and Miriam Makeba's "Amanpondo" at 25 minutes. Bang manages to swing in any or no time; the two horns mesh intuitively, completing each other's thoughts; the two bassists have different strong suits, and Cyrille has rarely had better days. A Tom Hull write your comments about the article :: © 2013 Jazz News :: home page |