Picked this up at a yard sale today. I'd never heard of him but I love the bass-playing of Cecil McBee so I thought I'd give it a shot. Boy, am I glad I did. This is a post-bop / avant-garde needle in the haystack, literally a tribute to the ancient kingdom of Mali. Freeman alternates between saxophones, flutes and bailophone and the rest of the band is in order with Jay Hoggard (vibes), Anthony Davis (piano), Cecil, of course, and a brilliant african-inspired percussion journey with Famoudou Don Moye, pulling out all the stops with bells, whistles, gongs and the trap kit itself.
Definitely AACM / 70's Chicago feeling (I kept waiting for Lester Bowie to pop up) and its a far cry from Kulu se Mama but certainly worth your time.
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More Chico Freeman here: http://easyjams.blogspot.com/2011/08/chico-freeman-peaceful-heart-gentle.html
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