Why?

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Ginger Baker has been a swaggering presence his entire career, as the drummer for Cream and Blind Faith as well as his recordings with Fela Kuti and his jazz albums in the latter part of his career. Here, on Baker's first album in 16 years, he’s joined by Pee Wee Ellis (saxophone), Alec Dankworth (bass), and Abass Dodoo (percussion). Even those who haven’t heard Baker recently will recognize his rangy style punctuated by calamitous breaks, but where he previously seemed to be fighting with band members from behind the kit, here he sounds locked in with Dodoo and the rest of the band, which has toured in the past few years. The quartet is ostensibly a jazz group, exploring classics like “Footprints” and “St. Thomas”—but they also move into the blues on “Cyril Davis” and “Twelve and More Blues,” reconfigure the Nigerian folk tune “Aiko Biaye,” and quote from the gospel standard “Wade in the Water” on the title cut. Dankworth in particular offers up some fine solo work (“Ain Temouchant”), but Ellis keeps this jazz rooted in R&B and blues too. It's surprisingly approachable for fans of Baker and/or jazz in general. Why not?

via Apple Music