Enter drums among the people. Is that Yoruba ritual or Santeria? The man with dreads dancing a blessing. Is that Amayo, from Antibalas? It is, spill the water. Black man throatsing-beatboxing an Obamabration, who dat? Kid Lucky! Vernon Reid--The Vernon Reid--bluesifies it, brings it home, Black Rock Coalition. Gentle touch. African roots exposed. J.T. Lewis on drums. And John Medeski--The John Medeski--possessed, a counter-weight. And in the center, Melvin Gibbs, holding down the low end. But that's a computer there too, barely noticed. Gentle touch again. Oh yeah, he is nodding some direction. Don't call dat world music. Definitely Black music on Black terms. A soulful shift. Puzzle master of African diaspora, centered in America.
[Editor's note: We don't usually do concert reviews on DubMC, but it was not your same old showcase at APAP last night at the Hiro Ballroom. While conversations in workshops took a left turn as the issue of race was exposed but left without a response, the musical antidote was right beneath our collective nose.]
