Customer Reviews

My People

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Although definitely not "jazz", from the gorgeous opening chords this disc is a WINNER!! In drawing together some of the best talent in "world music" (eg. Salif Keita) Zawinul has treated each guest artist with the ultimate respect, giving them full composer credits & plenty of upfront performance space to show off their unique talents whilst underpinning & propelling each track with his wonderful array of sonic effects & grooves from the keyboard. You will find yourself bopping along to most of this disc (and just wait till you hear the throat singing - it will blow you away!!!). HIGHLY recommended (& I don't give 5 stars away lightly.......)

Recommended to me by my Austrian massage therapist friend, and played while we were eating cheese and sipping wine at 2:30am one Saturday night, this just blew me away. He called it "state of the art" world jazz. Significant elements from Africa, Cape Verde Islands, and the Caribbean, with cool synth and raw sounds and rhythms from all over. It punches so many of my buttons that I can't get enough of this album. Bought it in 1998 and will listen to cuts from it every few weeks.

Intro to a Mighty Theme and Waraya, the opening tracks, definitely set the mood. Intro almost sounds like something from an ethereal African-American church, and then all of a sudden there is singing in an African language, plus spoken word. All very soothing, familiar and foreign at the same time. Then you move into Waraya, which has a cool driving modern African beat and great vocoder vocals. Bimoya is a terrific multilayered journey in the same vein.

In an Island Way is probably my favorite. It has so many cool elements that jam together, it's both smooth and multi-punctuated. It makes me happy like chili fries.

Mi Gente is one of my favorites also. The drums and the beginning are just AWESOME. And the cool layering as they get into first verse. There's something so African about it, and then the great tight horns. AND it is in Spanish. You get sort of a Cuban sense about it, along with Cape Verde.

And You Want Some Tea, Grandpa is a very visual and touching. Quite an ethereal song, which you will understand even though you don't speak the language.

Some of the songs are a bit challenging to the uninitiated listener, but even so they are interesting and not at all boring.

Even though I listened to Mr. Zawinul back in the 70s in my college jazz classes, THIS is the album I will always cherish and remember.

this is an album of zawinul's world music with a large number of artists from all over the world-world tour

My people is in keeping with Zawinul's brand of jazz. A Strong groove accented by amazing and inventive lines from zawinul's keyboards. Vocals play a major role and give this alblum a more soulful human diminsion which weather report and even Zawinul's other solo almlums lack. The vocals may put you of at first but soon they will soak in to you and the love Zawinul wants to express for all kinds of people really comes thorugh

My People by Joe Zawinul; is definitely one of the most uplifting and wonderful albums I have ever had the pleasure of listening to. It gives you the feeling of running through a field of tall grasses in the sun without a care in the world!
Everyone should hear this album, and listen with an open mind and heart.