...a colorful tableau filtered through personal experience and infused by an understanding of the history of the continent.
With a 2008 month-long tour of Africa as inspiration, Chicago saxophonist Geof Bradfield composed a rhythmically rich, harmonically challenging suite, drawing on his experiences in Rwanda, Congo, Uganda, & Zimbabwe. Incorporating elements of jazz, Bradfield connects the sounds of Africa with those of the African Diaspora in North America, creating a stunning musical travelogue. Before writing, he assembled a group of like-minded, dynamic Chicago musicians to compose for?pianist Ryan Cohan, guitarist Jeff Parker, trumpeter-percussionist Victor Garcia, bassist Clark Sommers, and drummer George Fludas?helping to forge a powerful group aesthetic for the recording.
1.Butare 5:22
2. Piano Solo 2:25
3.The Children's Room 5:45
4. Lubumbashi 7:16
5. Mama Yemo 6:58
6. Drum Solo 1:38
7. Nairobi Transit 5:31
8. Prelude 3:13
9. Kampala 4:26
10. Bass Solo 2:25
11. The Nurse from Nairobi 3:44
12. Harare/Leaving Africa 10:34
Geof Bradfield - tenor and soprano saxophones, bass clarinet, flute
Victor Garcia - trumpet, fugelhorn, congas and percussion
Jeff Parker - guitar
Ryan Cohan - piano
Clark Sommers - bass
George Fludas - drums and percussion
Produced by Geof Bradfield
Recorded by Scott Steinman
Recorded at Studiomedia, Chicago, IL on
October 12,13 and 14, 2009
Mixed by Rich Breen
Mixed at dogmatic Sound, LA
Mastered by Rich Breen
Mastered at Dogmatic Sound
All About Jazz (Mark Corroto)
Saxophonist Geof Bradfield's experiences traveling and performing in Rwanda, Congo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe in 2008 were the inspiration for African Flowers. Bradfield was a member of pianist Ryan Cohan's quartet, and the band took part in a US State Department/Jazz at Lincoln Center tour. This extended work for sextet features excellent writing and s ...
All Music Guide (Ken Dryden)
Geof Bradfield received a grant from the Chamber Music America's New Works: Creation and Presentation Program to compose the music heard in African Flowers, his fourth CD as a leader. The money invested in the multi-reed player proved to be an excellent investment. Prior to writing the music, Bradfield traveled to Africa and like many jazz musician ...
JazzChicago.net (Brad Walseth)
Reed player Geof Bradfield's U.S. State Dept. sponsored trip across Africa in 2008 affected him greatly and resulted in his writing the music for his new album African Flowers based on his experiences. We covered his concert presenting this music at the Chicago Cultural Center last October (see our review and photos from that event here ) and were ...
Examiner.com (Neil Tesser)
"Travel broadens the mind," says the ancient maxim. When the traveler is a skilled and sensitive artist ? such as Geof Bradfield, the relaxed and brilliant Chicago tenor saxophonist ? his travel can also broaden the minds of others. And at the very least, it will prove enormously entertaining.
Bradfield's newly released African Flowers (Origin R ...
TheJazzPage.com ()
In 2008, multi-reed instrumentalist Geof Bradfield was a member of a month-long musical tour of the African countries of Rwanda, Uganda, Congo and Zimbabwe sponsored by the U.S. State Department and Jazz at Lincoln Center. It was part of a program to take American music abroad. Bradfield, however, received as much as he gave to the experience, soak ...
JazzTimes (Bill Milkowski)
Chicago saxophonist Geof Bradfield draws on music he encountered in his travels to Africa during a 2008 Rhythm Road tour with pianist Ryan Cohan's quartet. Cohan joins Bradfield here, along with trumpeter Victor Garcia, guitarist Jeff Parker, bassist George Fludas, and together the band delivers entrancing polyrhythmic themes like the melodic Rwan ...
Downbeat (Areif Sless-Kitain)
The green room beneath the Petrillo Music Shell in Chicago's Grant Park isn't the toniest backstage. In fact, the brightly lit cellar looks better equipped to accommodate a fleet of football players than the cast of Chicago Jazz Festival artists. Saxophonist Geof Bradfield is beaming, nonetheless, and with good reason - fresh off stage from a well- ...
Canadian Audiophile (Jordan Richardson)
In early 2008, saxophonist and composer Geof Bradfield took on a month-long tour of Rwanda, Congo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe as part of pianist Ryan Cohan's quartet. The tour was arranged as a part of The Rhythm Road: American Music Abroad, a unique program co-sponsored by the U.S. State Department and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
Similar programs have ta ...
Cadence (Don Lerman)
African Flowers from Chicago saxophonist Geof Bradfield is an evocative suite of music that expresses in Bradfield's musical terms the colorful spirit of another land and culture. Bradfield traveled to Africa in February 2008 with the Ryan Cohan Quartet, performing with the group in Rwanda, Congo, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Bradfield had delved into the ...