Western musician goes to Africa to record original compositions with native artists. No, it’s not Damon Albarn making a followup to “Mali Music” (2002), a pop-infused stab at African tunes, but Bronx native and Swiss resident Steve Reid. The drummer, composer and bandleader — and former Black Panther — has traveled repeatedly to Africa throughout his career. His latest sojourn took him to Senegal’s capital, Dakar, to write and record “Daxaar,” an album that moves away from recent ventures into electronic music with Kieran Hebden, aka Four Tet.
The 63-year-old, who has played with diverse luminaries such as James Brown, Miles Davis and Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, still collaborates here with programmer Hebden, but this time he mixes up-tempo percussion rhythms indigenous to Senegal into his music.
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