Djabe & Steve Hackett: Life Is A Journey

Djabe is a Hungarian jazz rock outfit and Steve Hackett is…well, you know who he is. They first met around ten years ago and in the intervening years did the occasional show together but up until recently had never gotten together in the studio. That all changed in 2017 with the release of Life Is A Journey - The Sardinia Tapes.

If you are into jazz rock you are in for some tasty stuff. The album was recorded on the island of Sardinia, no doubt a source of inspiration for this very talented quintet of musicians. The recording sessions lasted only three days so there is a certain spontaneity achieved throughout the recording. Hackett, being the professional he is, fits right in as if he has been a part of this ensemble for years.

The first track “Life Is A Journey� starts the disc in fine fashion. Languid bass and keyboards build the melody before some excellent trumpet work from Koós-Hutás. The vocals are very melodic and tuneful adding a poppier element to the jazzy surroundings. The guitar work takes on a fusion vibe as well as adding a bit of muscle to the sound. With “Golden Sand� calming guitar and trumpet with a gentle groove leads to ethereal guitar and a delightful crescendo. Barabás’ understated bass work is a highlight as is his bass solo at the start of “Castelsardo At Night�, a mellow and ethereal piece heavy on atmosphere and gentle touches including Hackett’s otherworldly guitar textures. The trumpet solo shines as well. The guitar solo on the more briskly paced “What’s The News Antonio?� is another high point. There are seven more quality tracks that anyone into the mellower moods of jazz rock should thoroughly enjoy and of course fans of Hackett will want this in their collection.

A highly recommended release from Esoteric Antenna.

The package also includes a DVD featuring high definition audio mixes of the entire album and the band’s performance at the Budapest Jazz Club on June 3, 2017.

The players are:
Steve Hackett (guitar)
Gulli Briem (drums, percussion)
Tamás Barabás (bass, guitar, percussion, synth, vocals)
�ron Koós-Hutás (trumpet)
Attila Égerházi (guitar, guitar synth, percussion)

Track Listing:
1. Life Is A Journey
2. Golden Sand
3. Castelsardo At Night
4. What’s The News Antonio?
5. Around My Mind
6. Beams Over the Nulvi Mountains
7. Building A Nuraghe
8. Buzzy Island
9. I Will Always Remember
10. Wake Up
11. After Limoncello

Added: May 26th 2018
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 1152
Language: english

[ Printer Friendly Page ]
[ Send to a Friend ]