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Musicians: Jean-Paul Bourelly g, Carl Bourelly Keyboards, Joseph Bowie tb, Will Calhoun dr, Olu Dara cornet, Dennis Cheambers dr, Vincent Henry as,ts, Orbert Talamachus b, Abdourahmane Diop voc, Melvin Gibbs el-b, Henry Threadgill as, Reggie Workman b
Recording date: 1997 - 2001
Recording place: Power Play/Planet Sound, New York City, USA
He is one of the biggest names on the current Jazz scene, and one of the most popular and virtuoso jazz guitarists active today. Jean-Paul Bourelly presents with ”Boom Bop II” the follow-up CD to his successful album of last year. ”A promising liaison for the future” the magazine MUSIKEXPRESS/SOUNDS praised the first ”Boom Bop” album, calling it a liaison of loops and samples, drum & bass, fusion, rock, jazz and African vocals.
As is fitting for a first class musician, he again assembled a sensational line-up in the studio. The alto saxophonist/flutist Henry Threadgill is once again involved as in the first part of the ”Boom Bop” project; Jean-Paul Bourelly picks up on his flights into the avant-garde and develops them further in his own funky way. Boom bassist ”Big Royal” Talamacus from the first album is also involved, and his deep bass sounds create an earthy foundation. And the ”Howlin‘ Wolf” of Senegal, the singer Abdourahmane Diop, is also part of the band again. He is almost solely responsible for the world music sound of the album. His traditional West African singing sounds very distinct from music characterized by European-American influences and provides extremely exciting moments. The list of the other guest musicians sounds like a ”Who-Is-Who” of the jazz scene: Dennis Chambers (five songs) and Will Calhoun are on drums. The distinguished avant-gardist Reggie Workman (two songs) plays the double-bass, and Melvin Gibbs the e-bass. The two biggest differences to the first ”Boom Bop” projects are the many keyboards and samples from brother Carl Bourelly and the fast that there are twice as many wind players with Henry Threadgill (as, fl), Olu Dara (ct), Joe Bowie (tb - ex-Defunkt) and Vincent Henry (ts).
Following a brief introduction called ”Awakening”, the actual program begins with a pulsating funky jazz number, ”The Spirit Wheel”, played as a quintet with Jean-Paul on guitar and various special effect devices, his brother Carl Bourelly on keyboards, Joe Bowie on trombone, Talamacus on bass and Dennis Chambers on drums. This piece gets things heated up right from the start and shows the direction for the whole album: funky jazz-rock with a lot of rock and elements from drum & bass. ”Cool Papa N’Diaye”, with nine musicians including four wind instrument players and a very varied arrangement, is the first number with Abdourahmane Diop, whose traditional songs provide a contrast to the rest of the music. Diop’s singing is the center and focal point in the next piece, ”Fatima,” an avant-garde number with a heavy rock influence and Zappa-like guitar work. ”Blowin' Omni” lives from its fiery rhythm and African flair, which are continued and developed further in ”Pluto Lounge” and find their style-overlapping culmination in ”Thierno De Conakay”.
After a brief intermezzo from Carl Bourelly (”The Scent of The Healer”), the CD takes off into space. ”Harmofunkalodica” and ”Trance Atlantic” are two rock-like excursions into weightlessness and the musical universe with exhilarating and pulsating rhythms. ”Traffic” and ”Freedom Delta” provide pure funk-jazz of the finest quality once again.
“Boom Bop II” is a cross-border project, which links various cultures and always keeps the future development of music in sight. Jean-Paul Bourelly has surpassed even himself with his new album. Daring fusions and sophisticated compositions between jazz, rock, psychedelic funk and Afro-blues again demonstrate his never-ending search for new developments in music. They show a Jean-Paul Bourelly, who never tires of seeking the innovative. ”Boom Bop II” is a very successful further development of his multiple-style project.
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