Black Lives: People Of Earth
Jammin'colorS

Christie Dashiell: Journey In Black
Crehz Music

Bassist Reggie Washington and executive producer Stefany Calembert might be the prime movers behind Black Lives, but it's very much an ensemble-driven enterprise. This solid second collection builds on the strengths of the first and despite involving a multitude of singers and instrumentalists presents a cohesive picture. While no formal manifesto is included, the group's humanistic message and values of positivity, equality, and unity come through loud and clear. For this empowering outfit, change is possible if we just find a way to work together—much like those contributing to the eighty-minute release.

Many a listener will remember Washington as a card-carrying member of the earlier M-Base unit, and interestingly a number of others associated with that collective—guitarist David Gilmore and pianist Andy Milne, to cite two—are part of Black Lives. A similar spirit animates both movements, though the one informally spearheaded by Steve Coleman was more theory-driven; one might characterize Black Lives, on the other hand, as motivated by utopian hope. Regardless, just as M-Base had its Cassandra Wilson, Black Lives has Christie Dashiell and Tutu Puoane to give its music first-class vocalizing. Twenty-six pianists, guitarists, saxophonists, drummers, singers, and spoken word artists contribute to the set, with drummer Gene Lake, guitarist Jean-Paul Bourelly, saxophonist/bass clarinetist Marcus Strickland, keyboardist Grégory Privat, and turbtablist DJ Grazzhoppa among those participating.

Drawing on experiences with artists such as Miles Davis, Roy Hargrove, Wayne Shorter, and others, contributors take turns leading the ensemble through material whose influences span funk, soul, R&B, jazz, blues, hip-hop, and African music. Don't be surprised if one track suggests a jazz-funk fusion or Fela homage while another revives hazy memories of The Ohio Players, Parliament/Funkadelic, Marvin Gaye, and Sly and the Family Stone. In addition, the embracing vibe of this intergenerational project is refreshing, and it's heartening to discover that the ages of the musicians range from thirty to seventy; here's a rare case where the wisdom of elders is valued and appreciated.

People of Earth is presented as an odyssey of sorts. It certainly begins beautifully when Dashiell's lustrous voice pairs with Federico Gonzalez Peña's Fender Rhodes on “Intro: Friendship” before Puoane's equally appealing voice animates the soul-funk sultriness of “When We Love.” Here and elsewhere, Washington and Lake ground the performances with playing that's unfailingly tight, and Gilmore and Peña enhance the arrangements with their presence. Goosed by the honk of Strickland's bass clarinet and soprano sax, Washington's lurching “Think” alternates between thought-provoking rhymes by Sharrif Simmons and silken female vocal choruses. Gilmore then scalds “On Sèl Rèv” with rock-tinged gestures while a small choir of multi-lingual vocalists declaims alongside saxophonists Pierrick Pédron (alto) and Jacques Schwarz-Bart (tenor).

At fifteen tracks, memorable moments occur with regularity. Bart's “Fifth Dimension” oscillates between smooth soul-jazz flow and high-velocity free-flight. With Pédron draping light-speed runs across its muscular base, Gilmore's “Valley of Kings” blends African and jazz fusion into a frothy brew, and with Dashiell and Puoane at the forefront, Privat's soulful ballad “People of Earth” lifts the spirits. However far the release travels, it never loses sight of its mission, as confirmed by the “One love, one world, one dream, all together” message conveyed in “Outro: On Sèl Rèv.”

As her sophomore album makes clear, Dashiell's clearly a star-in-the-making, someone with abundant vocal chops and comfortable leading a group. In certain ways, Journey In Black is similar to the kind of album Cassandra Wilson issued years ago (1991's She Who Weeps, for example, which also, interestingly, features Reggie Washington and Bourelly) though doesn't sound any less of-the-moment for being so. Primarily accompanied by a piano trio, the Washington, DC-born Dashiell sings with authority, her delivery grounded in jazz, soul, and gospel. Just as Black Lives might recall M-Based as a spiritual kin, Dashiell's album calls to mind Wilson and even, during the radiant “How It Ends,” The Foreign Exchange.

As Journey In Black plays, the impression forms that Dashiell grew up exposed to singers like Betty Carter, Abbey Lincoln, and Dianne Reeves; to her credit, however, she never sounds like she's imitating any of them and has forged her own sound. With her are pianist Allyn Johnson, bassist Romeir Mendez, and drummer Carroll Dashiell III, while organist Shedrick Mitchell and trumpeter Marquis Hill make guest appearances. Seven of the nine songs are Dashiell originals, the others covers of the Bacharach-David classic "Anyone Who Had a Heart" and, originally used in the 1950 film A Life of Her Own, Bronislaw Kaper and Paul Francis Webster's “Invitation,” the recipient here of a rousing and affectionate treatment.

At the album's start, Dashiell honours her forebears with "Ancestral Folk Song,” a dramatic folk-tinged set-piece that subtly evokes the classic John Coltrane Quartet when her trio seems on some level to be channeling the spirits of Tyner, Garrison, and Jones. In addition to singing, Dashiell scats with authority and even in places verges on suggesting a soloing saxophone or trumpet. Speaking of which, Hill's muted horn complements her voice beautifully on the soulful "The Things You Do.” Executed at a furious clip, "Influence" weds her scatting to the instrumental dynamism of her trio.

Ballads, of course, are most exposing for a singer, but Dashiell never falters when tackling the soulful epic “Grief" or the haunting makeover of “Anyone Who Had a Heart.” Without straying so far from the song that it loses its identity, she nevertheless riffs boldly on the latter's melodies and intensifies its emotional desperation. Backed with lovely Moonglows-styled harmonies, the vocals-only arrangement of “Always Stay” offers a sterling showcase for her soulful inclinations. At album's end, the heartfelt lament “Brother Sister" powerfully addresses the injustices Black people have suffered, whether it be police brutality, economic inequality, or racism. It hardly needs to be stated that the future looks very bright indeed for this rising star. In addition to appearing with the Black Lives collective, Dashiell's worked with saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin, vibraphonist Stefan Harris, and drummer Terry Lyne Carrington, and no doubt others will be contacting her after they've heard Journey In Black.

May 2024