Joy

Fulbright scholarships are an attractive option, as they promote the international exchange of researchers from and in the USA. The target group also includes musicians. The one from Statesville/North Carolina-born saxophonist Benjamin Boone (*1963) knows how to seize this opportunity. Stays in different countries were and are the result. His traces can be found on several continents, even the German university cities of Tübingen and Erlangen were already among his destinations. In 2017/18 Boone, who already played with Peter Erskine or Randy Brecker, spent a good year in Ghana via Fulbright to get in touch with the regional jazz rock scene. Shortly before the return trip, an appointment was made in the studio in the capital Accra: Tenor saxophonist Bernard Ayisa, keyboardist Victor Dey Jr., bassist Bright Osei and drummer Frank Kissi took part in the recording session. On the desks were partly jointly arranged songs from their own and other musicians, all of which were rhythmically accentuated and equipped with gaudy riffs. Herbie Hancock's sixties milestone "Maiden Voyage" was also remembered. Here and in two other pieces the vocalist Sandra Huson, who is meanwhile known beyond her home country, also played. The title of the resulting CD "Joy" is no coincidence, as the members of the fusion-oriented sextet are united by a great deal of joy in playing. This recording will probably not be found on the eternity lists of influential jazz albums. But the information value about jazz from Ghana should not be underestimated, nor should the respectable solo qualities of the participants.

Translated from German