This album has been released sometime in mid-2005 but was brought to my attention only recently by Phoenix from the Premier Cru Music label. And I’m very glad she told me about Francisco Mora Catlett and his label. A label, I have never heard of before, but whose name should make then a guarantor for first class music. From what I’ve heard of Premier Cru so far they really live up to their name.
Francisco Mora Catlett is a drumer/composer who’s a former member of both Sun Ra Arkestra and Max Roach’s M’ Boom Band. Fans of electro/techno/modern jazz may also know him from his collaboration with Carl Craig’s Innerzone Orchestra (Bug In The Bassbin) or from his appearance on the Sun Ra Dedication The Myth Lives On on Kindred Spirits.
River Drums is Francisco’s follow-up to World Trade Music from 1999 on the Community Projects label. And what an inspiring record it is. Francisco offers a unique blend of jazz, Latin and Afro-Cuban jazz with lots of drums (naturally!), percussion and horns. The album starts with three different versions of Afra-Jum. Hard to decide which one’s better…the first turns into a furious uptempo tour de force after five minutes, the second is on the jazzier side while the third takes on where the first version left you.
The highlight for me is the Amazona suite. The main part was released as a 12″ on Kindred Spirit in 2004 by the way. But this new version with Prelude and Epilogue gives it a new, spiritual direction picturing a day from sunrise to sunset. The Prelude features a great string quartet giving this song a welcome orchestral feeling. The main part is a joyous Brazilian dancer with Teresa G. Mora on vocals. The Epilogue marks the end of the day with its slow groove. Luckily the record doesn’t end here. The percussive Rumba Morena offers more quality music for example.
Francisco even manages it to convince me that steel drums can sound good in the right context like on Old Man Joe. His versatility can also be heard on the traditional jazz tune AJ’s Blues.
If you picked up Speak In Tones’ Subaro last year and like the Latin and percussive stuff Masters At Work and Joe Claussell do then you shouldn’t miss River Drums. And open-minded fans of Latin jazz that leaves more than enough room for improvisation and broadens musical borders must have this highly recommendable album anyway.

Tracklisting of River Drum: 1. Afra-Jum/ 2. Afra-Jum/ 3. Afra-Jum/ 4. Samba (Conga de Amor)/ 5. Amazona Prelude (Dawn) 6. Amazona/ 7. Amazona (Epilogue/Sunset)/ 8. Rumba Morena/ 9. El Morro/ 10. Old Man Joe/ 11. AJ’s Blues (for Ali Jackson)/ 12. King of Lighting (Drums Solo)/ 13. ¿Por Que Paro?/ 14. Hasta la Vista | released 2005 by Taiko Drum Music / Premier Cru Music

For more infos visit premiercrumusic.com.

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