(All photos by CirdecSongs)

It is more than a little arrogant, presumptuous, and pretty damned bossy to declare whom you should listen to, given that you possess your own musical tastes.

Yeah … I’m gonna do it anyway.

There are too many great and underexposed artists out there, and I’d like to tell you about them.^

We can start with British saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, who now performs under just his first name. The tone of his tenor sax is positively brutal and it has shined through in a variety of musical projects.

The first time I knowingly heard Shabaka was with a band called The Comet Is Coming. The album was called Trust in The Lifeforce of The Deep Energy. As the initial musical strains leapt forth from my speakers, I turned into a puppy tilting its head from side to side, wondering just what the hell was going on. And loving it!

It wasn’t quite jazz, as normally defined. There were tons of electronic elements. The beats bordered on EDM. The grooves ran up down my spine. It was unlike anything I’d ever heard. It was perfect. What more could I ask?

Naturally, my music OCD kicked in and I had to hear every note Shabaka played. Lucky for me, this wasn’t a difficult task. The next place I found him was in a (now defunct) band called Sons of Kemet. The first album I heard is called Your Queen Is A Reptile. I was particularly happy to be able to enjoy this release on vinyl. Yeah, I’m one of those people.

There was no mistaking Shabaka’s familiar tone. This time, it was part of a sound awash in African percussion, demanding vocals, and the remarkable tuba of Theon Cross.+ Once again, I was in gloriously foreign territory. My mind was being stretched in the best ways. I was fortunate enough to catch them in 2022 as part of their farewell tour the day Chicago’s new concert venue The Salt Shed formally opened.

I was right up front for this gig, which was great for both sound and photography. Someone remind me to ask Shabaka about his workout routine! I’m guessing it more than contributes a bit to his sound, as his breathing seems plenty powerful.

I mentioned to my friend Kim that I was really digging this new (to me) sax player. Kim works in a record store, so it took her about a microsecond to tell me about Shabaka and the Ancestors. Less than two minutes later, I had a copy of Wisdom of Elders in my hands, once again in glorious LP form. This is probably as close as Shabaka gets to traditional jazz.

Shabaka has a gift I absolutely love in musicians willing to try it in that his sound travels. That sax tone is able to move seamlessly from one musical context to another. It’s not unlike Miles Davis, who moved his trumpet from one context to the next with minimal effort. The sound around Miles might have been different, but the trumpet always sounded like Miles. Ditto for Shabaka. He is always himself, regardless of what might be going on around him.

And now Shabaka has another solo project coming forth called Of The Earth. It’s the first release on his own record label. What I’ve heard of it is pretty special. I’m looking forward to digging into the rest of it. The full album will be released March 6.

In the meantime, I can’t recommend the works of Shabaka highly enough. And when he visits your hometown, regardless of context, GO!!! You won’t regret it.

^ Granted, they may not be as “underexposed” as I believe they are. It just seems that way to me.

+ Theon will also be part of this series. That piece will be part of the world very soon.

#cirdecsongs

If you would like to have your music reviewed or your band photographed while in Chicago, contact me at cirdecsongs@gmail.com