African Flowers by Geof Bradfield
...a colorful tableau filtered through personal experience and infused by an understanding of the history of the continent.
- JAZZ CHICAGO
With a 2008 month-long tour of Africa as inspiration, Chicago saxophonist Geof Bradfield composed a rhythmically rich, harmonically challenging suite, drawing on his experiences in Rwanda, Congo, Uganda, & Zimbabwe. Incorporating elements of jazz, Bradfield connects the sounds of Africa with those of the African Diaspora in North America, creating a stunning musical travelogue. Before writing, he assembled a group of like-minded, dynamic Chicago musicians to compose for?pianist Ryan Cohan, guitarist Jeff Parker, trumpeter-percussionist Victor Garcia, bassist Clark Sommers, and drummer George Fludas?helping to forge a powerful group aesthetic for the recording.
Tracklist
| 1. | Butare | 5:23 |
| 2. | Piano Solo | 2:26 |
| 3. | The Children's Room | 5:49 |
| 4. | Lubumbashi | 7:18 |
| 5. | Mama Yemo | 7:01 |
| 6. | Drum Solo | 1:39 |
| 7. | Nairobi Transit | 5:35 |
| 8. | Prelude | 3:13 |
| 9. | Kampala | 4:30 |
| 10. | Bass Solo | 2:26 |
| 11. | The Nurse from Nairobi | 3:47 |
| 12. | Harare/Leaving Africa | 10:35 |
Credits
Geof Bradfield - tenor and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet, flute
Victor Garcia - trumpet, fugelhorn, congas and percussion
Jeff Parker - guitar
Ryan Cohan - piano
Clark Sommers - bass
George Fludas - drums and percussion
Produced by Geof Bradfield
Recorded by Scott Steinman
Recorded at Studiomedia, Chicago, IL on
October 12,13 and 14, 2009
Mixed by Rich Breen
Mixed at dogmatic Sound, LA
Mastered by Rich Breen
Mastered at Dogmatic Sound
License
All rights reserved.
Geof Bradfield was born in Houston. He lived in New York and LA before settling in Chicago in 2004. Along the way, he has been fortunate to work alongside many jazz luminaries throughout the US, Europe, Russia and Africa. He leads his own groups as well as performing often with Dana Hall's Black Fire, Clark Sommers Ba(SH), Matt Ulery's Loom, the Spin Quartet, and pianist Ryan Cohan.