In the midst of mass self-isolation, the notion of staying put and keeping static has become increasingly (and understandably) less appealing, especially as the COVID pandemic and mounting unrest both continue their respective, uncertain progress. So for drummer Asher Gamedze there’s never been a better time to encourage ongoing movement, both physically and figuratively.
But to do so, this Cape Town composer cooped himself up with four additional jazz players for two days straight while recording his debut double album, Dialectic Soul, over extended live, full band takes. Its message of truth, resistance, and external rhythm persists across the record’s six inventive arrangements, starting off strong with a nineteen-minute free-jazz-inspired reflection on colonialist violence, and releases on the pertinent holiday of Juneteenth. Before you explore the full meditation next Friday, take some deep breaths on Dialectic Soul‘s latest single, a memoriam of sorts that came out just yesterday, “siyabulela”!
–Jack Anderson
–Photo: Elijah Ndoumbe
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