Alan Skidmore's Ubizo
50 Journeys (PVC1040)
UK Release Date: 15 September 2008

Alan Skidmore’s Ubizo return with a sensational new album to celebrate Alan’s 50th year in music

Alan Skidmore’s career spans 50 years as a performing jazz musician. Through his period in S.O.S. with John Surman and Mike Osborne to his endless appearances on classic albums with artists such as Eric Clapton, Michael Gibbs, Van Morrison, Chris McGregor, Kenny Wheeler, Georgie Fame etc. He recorded the orchestral album After the Rain (Observer Critics Choice 1998) with the NDR Radiophilharmonie Hannover and also recorded with his critically acclaimed Alan Skidmore Quartet.

The new Ubizo CD 50 Journeys is the third album with his African based band. The recording captures a stronger world music feel, with every member of the band contributing compositions. From Gambian and Tanzanian roots the band is bursting with infectious songs and colourful percussion - Ingolf Burkhardt & Steve Melling bring a dynamic charge to the music. The seventeen tracks are mainly 4-5 minutes long, which means the CD travels an enormous amount of ground in one hour, with each track delivering a new surprise. Ubizo has never performed a concert where the entire audience were not on their feet and dancing - with this CD new dancing shoes are essential!

UBIZO LINE-UP:

ALAN SKIDMORE - tenor saxophone; INGOLF BURKHARDT - trumpet; SAIDI KANDA - african drums, percussion, vocals; MUSA MBOOB - african drums, percussion, vocals; STEVE MELLING - piano and keyboards; COLIN TOWNS - keyboards and piano; NEVILLE MALCOLM - bass; MIKE PAXTON - kit drums
  1. BLUES MINOR
  2. DUMA
  3. JAMANGAM
  4. SACRED PLACES
  5. ALFRED THE GREAT
  6. CALL OF BAKOLO
  7. FIFTY JOURNEYS
  8. TWO BROTHERS
  9. SUNDAY MORNING
  10. AFRICA
  11. HALAM HALAM
  12. KARAMU
  13. BAMBOO HARMON
  14. MAPUTO MOONRISE
  15. ARABICA
  16. ZE ZE
  17. ANYWHERE YOU GO
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