Unearthed by The Mighty Zaf for BBE Music, Into A New Journey by Ambiance is an impossibly rare and sought-after private label spiritual jazz masterpiece from 1982 with Latin, Brazilian and Afro overtones. Ambiance was the ‘nom de guerre’ of an ever-shifting jazz collective headed up by Nigeria-born, LA-tutored multi- instrumentalist, arranger, producer and photographer Daoud Abubakar Balewa.
Balewa studied composition and jazz improvisation at the feet of innovators such as Frank Mitchell (Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers), Jackie McLean (Blue Note) and other masters from the golden Blue Note era. Although he favoured alto, soprano and tenor, he was equally happy on flute, keyboards, and Latin and Brazilian percussion. What’s more, he had the knack of using musicians who were bold enough to welcome being part of such multi- faceted sessions: guitarist Jim Lum’s flexibility suits the theme of this album perfectly, as does prolific Japanese soul-jazz drummer Danny Yamamoto; the stunning Hawaiian pianist Kino Cornwell (Yamamoto’s colleague from funk-fusion supergroup Hiroshima); and the wonderful Jean Carn-like tones of Daoud’s wife, jazz vocalist Monife Balewa.
From the band’s reading of Joe Henderson’s modal masterpiece Black Narcissus, through the deep multicultural percussive jazz-dance workout that is the title track, and on to the three-octave vocal embellishments of Monife, on her own composition Something Better as well as on the Chick Correa fusion classic 500 Miles High, nothing here is generic, nothing taken for granted, nothing comfortable or predictable.
All of the half-dozen or so albums recorded and released by Daoud and Ambiance during just six years of frantic creativity between 1979 and 1986 are well worth seeking out, but in BBE Music’s opinion Into A New Journey is the pinnacle: spiritual jazz worthy of the very best practitioners of the genre, by an obscure group of ludicrously talented artists on a tiny, self- financed indie label with an equally tiny promo budget: that’s what great jazz is all about.
credits
released September 18, 2020
Acoustic Guitar, Electric Guitar – Jim Lum
Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone, Flute, Keyboards, Bells Agogô, Shekere, Berimbau, Cuica, Shekere [Agbe], Percussion, Vocals,
Apito – Tyrone Ponder
Bass – Randy Landis
Drums – Danny Yamamoto
Drums [African] – Rick Smith
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes Intro] – Danny Newmark (tracks: B2)
Keyboards [Acoustic Keyboards Intro] – Jim Thornburn (tracks: B1)
Keyboards [Acoustic Keyboards], Synthesizer [Prophet 5] – "Kimo" Cornwell
Koto – June Kuramoto
Percussion [Misc.], Vocals – Atiji Malomon
Vocals – Monife
Artwork – Daoud Abubakar Balewa
Engineer [Recording] – Mr. Bill Thomas, Mr. Don Holden
Executive-Producer – Monife Balewa
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supported by 26 fans who also own “Into A New Journey”
Like so many others, this came like a bolt out of the blue and, even though it's well before payday, I had to have this astonishing album on vinyl to prove it exists. The feel of the tunes makes me feel like the Impressions do, Curtis Mayfield, the big spaces and instinctive horns and stuff drifting in and out. Great grooves and I can see lots of ghosts nodding along to this with big smiles on their faces. At last! Anthony Cottrell
supported by 24 fans who also own “Into A New Journey”
Moodymann creates innovative soul funky music with deep 70s inspiration. The vocals are simply outstanding. A step back in time, 50 years ago! Superb. jef37
The opening track on Maulawi’s 1974 LP for the legendary Strata Records gets its funky grooves turned inside-out in these remixes. Bandcamp New & Notable Dec 19, 2021