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sudani____________ LINER NOTES BY TIM FUSON
In the most intense moments of trance during Gnawa nights, a reciprocal relationship is forged between the m'allim playing the guinbri and the person dancing in trance. While it is the guinbri whose riffs draw in the trancer and propel him or her deeper into the groove, the dancer in turn makes demands and gives directions to the guinbri, which responds in turn. This type of transcendent reciprocity, in which one wonders who is the player and who is being played, is a highlight of the best jazz performances as well.
Najib Sudani, Patrick Brennan, Nirankar Khalsa and company build upon the commonalties of African-American and African-Maghribi music not only at the level of melody and rhythm, but also at a deeper level of interactive structure, each one giving and taking in turn. Nirankar surrenders the role of primary timekeeper to the qarqaba and lets his trap drumming follow the guinbri; Najib surrenders lead vocals to Patrick's alto; the Gnawa chorus responds to Patrick as the m'allim's voice; Patrick in turn surrenders that role to become the trance dancer, submitting his alto to the propulsion of Najib's guinbri; and Nirankar extemporizes his own song suite among the Children of the Forest, at the bidding of the m'allim. Sensitive listening on the part of each musician and a willingness to follow each other without being bound by typical genre constraints makes this recording one of the most satisfying and genuinely collaborative Gnawa explorations to date.
- Tim Fuson Marrakesh / U.C. Berkeley