Appia Kwa Bridge

by Ebo Taylor

Overview

Unlike pop songs based on the Europe-derived rules of tonal music, Afro-beat doesn't typically move in a deliberate way from one place to another and then home again in a reasonably prescribed pattern of tension and release. Instead, it generally stays in a single place and dances there until it gets tired -- which can take anywhere from eight to 30 minutes. Nigerian legend Fela Kuti was the universally acknowledged Mozart of this approach: he would build a fearsome groove out of highly repetitive and mostly static harmonic materials, and then use it as an extended showcase for instrumental solos, wild dancing, and eye-poppingly bold political rants. Guitarist and songwriter Ebo Taylor, hailing from nearby Ghana, comes from the highlife tradition, which shares with Afro-beat a tendency toward funky, densely arranged, and harmonically static songs, but is also generally a bit lighter in terms of both groove and message. Recording here with the Berlin-based Afrobeat Academy band, Taylor gets deeper into his musical roots than he has on previous releases, creating a powerful set of songs that sound as if they could have been recorded in 1974: on tracks like "Abonsam," the highlife standard "Yaa Amponsah," and the effortlessly groovy title track, Taylor revives the old-school sounds with an energy and joy that belie his age. And on the album-closing "Barrima," he pays sweet tribute to his late wife with a stripped-down vocal-and-guitar composition that will break your heart. It all adds up to an album of unusual emotional depth and resonance. ~ Rick Anderson

Product Details

Release Date:	04/17/2012
Label:	Strut
UPC:	0730003308925
Rank:	240894

Tracks

1. Ayesama
2. Abonsam
3. Nsu Na Kwan
4. Yaa Amponsah
5. Assomdwee
6. Kruman Dey
7. Appia Kwa Bridge
8. Barrima

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ebo Taylor   Primary Artist,Guitar,Vocals,Choir/Chorus
Ben Abarbanel-Wolff   Farfisa Organ,Sax (Tenor),Sax (Baritone)
Kwame Yeboah   Farfisa Organ,Wurlitzer
Pax Nicholas   Maracas
Philip Sindy   Trumpet
Friedrich Milz   Trombone
Eric Owusu   Maracas,Choir/Chorus
Henry Taylor   Vocals,Choir/Chorus,Farfisa Organ
Martin Klingenberg   Trumpet
Ralph Karikari   Bass
Ekow Alabi Savage   Drums,Choir/Chorus
Tony Allen   Drums
J. Whitefield   Guitar,Guitar (Tenor)
Christian Grabandt   Trumpet
Patrick Frankowski   Bass
Oghene Kologbo   Bass,Guitar (Bass),Guitar (Tenor)

Technical Credits

Matt Thame   Graphic Design
Marie Clausen   Product Manager,Release Coordinator
Eric Trosset   Management
Jochen Stroeh   Mixing,Engineer
Jane Hahn   Photography
Quinton Scott   Product Manager,Release Coordinator
Ebo Taylor   Composer
Kelly Hibbert   Mastering
Ben Abarbanel-Wolff   Producer