SHRINE DANCE (BW089)

Following an illustrious career recording, producing and performing with the likes of Salif Keita, Manu Dibango, Miriam Makeba, Talking Heads, Don Cherry and Jean-Luc Ponty, drummer/percussionist Brice Wassy steps up with his second solo album for M.E.L.T. 2000."This new album is coming from the same direction as the first one, but 'N'ga Funk' was much more compositional and this is much more drum-orientated," Brice explains. "It was a great pleasure for me to play with two other drummers who I greatly respect. With Airto, he's very open. I gave him some directions and he did the rest. The same with Changuito, although the Cubans are very analytical in their music, very technical. But my music isn't like that. Even if you write it, you must feel it."

His intricate, innovative compositions and arrangements are built on a solid foundation of African collective tradition, inspired and infused by the individual expression of someone who has dug deep into the cultural treasury. . 'Shrine Dance' marks out Brice as one of the most dynamic and most progressive musicians in the contemporary Jazz/African diaspora. Drawing on a full palette of textures - from funky bass to newbop grooves, through "classic" jazz instrumentation, "electric bush" effects, African Rhythms and body percussion - Brice reaches new heights with this landmark album.

Track Listing (30 Second Samples)

1. FOOTPRINTS
J.J. ELANGUE TENOR SAX.
BYRON WALLEN TRUMPET
MICHAEL BOWIE ACOUSTIC BASS
NOEL EKWABI ACOUSTIC BASS GUITAR
DON DIEU DIVIN PIANO
BRICE WASSY DRUMS & VOICE. BRICE'S 'ASSIKO STYLE' INTERPRETATION OF THE JAZZ CLASSIC, BY WAYNE SHORTER AND MILES DAVIS, EMPHASISES THE AFRICAN RHYTHMIC HERITAGE INTEGRAL TO BEBOP.

2. SHRINE DANCE
DON DIEU DIVIN PIANO & KEYBOARDS
NOEL EKWABI ACOUSTIC BASS GUITAR
DEEPAK RAM FLUTE
BRICE WASSY DRUMS, WHISTLES, KEYBOARDS, CONGAS, COWBELL & SHAKERS. THE TITLE TRACK, SHRINE DANCE, IS INSPIRED BY A RHYTHMIC REVELATION WHICH CAME TO BRICE IN NIGERIA. "I WAS IN THIS CLUB IN LAGOS CALLED THE SHRINE, OWNED BY FELA KUTI. I SAW, WHEN FELA CAME ON STAGE AT 2AM, THAT EVERYTHING STOPPED. WHEN HE WENT UP ON STAGE AND MADE A SIGN TO THE DRUMMER IT WAS LIKE AN HALLUCINATION. BAM! - THE MUSICIANS WERE PLAYING HARD, SWEATING AND EVERYONE WAS INVOLVED". FELA'S AFROBEAT GROOVE PROVIDES THE PULSE FOR THIS TUNE WITH DIVIN'S BURNING PIANO ECHOING THE NIGERIAN'S GUITAR.

3. FRENET (NO MORE WAR)
GRAHAM HAYNES CORNET br>STEVE WILLIAMSON SOPRANO SAX
MICHAEL BOWIE ACOUSTIC BASS
DON DIEU DIVIN PIANO
BRICE WASSY DRUMS & VOICE "THIS TRACK FOR ME IS LIKE THERAPY," SAYS BRICE. "THE WAY I'M PLAYING, IT'S LIKE GUN FIRE AND WHAT I AM SAYING IS 'NO MORE WAR', THAT'S IT."

4. TA KISH
BRICE WASSY VOCALS & BODY PERCUSSION 'TA KISH' IS THE SOUND OF THE SNARE WITH THE HI HAT, BUT HIS TRACK IS A SOLO TOUR-DE-FORCE IN WHICH BRICE REVERTS TO THE ORIGINAL INSTRUMENT, THE HUMAN BODY, TO BUILD AN EVOCATIVE MOSAIC OF RHYTHM WITHOUT THE USE OF ANY INSTRUMENTS.

5. MEVUM - FOR KING NFALEU
STEVE WILLIAMSON SOPRANO SAX.
MICHAEL MONDESIR ELECTRIC BASS
DON DIEU DIVIN KEYBOARDS
ANNICK TANGORRA VOCAL
BRICE WASSY DRUMS/KEYBOARDS - DRUM PROGRAMMING DEDICATED TO A RECENTLY DECEASED UNCLE, WITH WHOM BRICE FIRST LEARNED TO DRUM, MEVUM IS A SUAVE ARRANGEMENT OF ANOTHER OF CAMEROON'S IDIOSYNCRATIC, VERY FAST 9/8 DANCE RHYTHMS, FEATURING PROGRAMMED BALAFON BY BRICE AND A MELODY WHICH STEVE WILLIAMSON IMPROVISES AROUND WITH DEFT PRECISION.

6. B.M.F.
BOBBY JOCKY ELECTRIC BASS
DON DIEU DIVIN PIANO
CLAUDE DEPPA TRUMPET
JOSE LUIS QUINTANA CONGAS BRICE WASSY DRUMS, VOICE & COWBELL B.M.F. IS A BAD MOTHER FUNKER, IN WHICH THE NORMALLY PLACID MR WASSY GETS OUT ALL HIS DARKER FEELINGS, UNLEASHING THE HEAVY SOUND OF BOBBY JOCKY FROM CAMEROON WHERE ELECTRIC BASS HAS BECOME A LEAD INSTRUMENT IN POPULAR DANCE MUSIC AND FEATURES THE MASTERFUL CONGAS OF CHANGUITO.

7. KU JAZZ
GRAHAM HAYNES CORNET
STEVE WILLIAMSON TENOR SAX.
MICHAEL BOWIE ACOUSTIC BASS
DON DIEU DIVIN PIANO
AIRTO MOREIRA PERCUSSION
BRICE WASSY DRUMS & COWBELL THE WORD FOR AUTHENTIC IN BAMILEKE LANGUAGE IS "KU". PRONOUNCE IT "COOL" AND YOU GET KU JAZZ. THE TRACK IS BASED UPON AUTHENTIC RHYTHMS, YET IT SOUNDS LIKE MODERN JAZZ.

8. MR. B.W.
BRICE WASSY DRUMS/PROGRAMMING A SELF-PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST, USING THE DISTINCTIVE RHYTHMS FOR WHICH BRICE - 'MR B.W.' - HAS BECOME SYNONYMOUS AND TRYING TO MAKE MELODY FROM PERCUSSIVE SOUNDS.

9. ALL BLUES
J.J. ELANGUE ALTO SAX.
BYRON WALLEN TRUMPET
NOEL EKWABI ACOUSTIC BASS
DON DIEU DIVIN PIANO
AIRTO MOREIRA PERCUSSION
BRICE WASSY DRUMS & COWBELL MILES DAVIS' TUNE, ALL BLUES, HAS ALWAYS BEEN A FAVOURITE OF BRICE'S: "THE COMPOSITION ALWAYS REMINDED ME OF BIKUTSI, A TRADITIONAL RHYTHM FROM SOUTH CAMEROON, AND THAT'S THE WAY WE PLAY IT."

10. ELECTRIC BUSH
BRICE WASSY DRUMS
HEAR BRICE'S DRUM ORCHESTRATION EXPRESS UNITY OF BODY AND SOUL IN THIS TRACK, A 'NDANZI' (THE DANCE OF THE CHIEF) RHYTHM, WHICH WAS ONCE PLAYED ONLY FOR ROYALTY, BUT HAS NOW BEEN POPULARISED AND IS ONE OF BRICE'S FAVOURITES.