CODONA

Other than Shakti I have found most other artists listed as Indo / raga jazz fusion don't sound very Indian or raga, rather having the title based on more of a drone that is influenced by such exotica. CODONA is an obvious exception with Indo / raga just bursting into the scene from the getgo with sitars, tablas, dulcimers, timpanis and other exotic elements such as droning chanting vocals in the background adding a Tibetan getaway feel to the whole thing.

CODONA was a trio of talented musicians and cleverly the name of the group is the combination of the first two letters of each of the member's first names: CO-llin Walcott, DO-n Cherry, NA-na Vasconcelos. How's that for democracy? The band released three albums from 1978-82 with this eponymous release being the first. This kind of music probably sounds somewhat familiar since world fusion has blossomed and repeated itself a million-fold since this was released, but this 70s collaboration is dripping with a sublime soul and innovative phrasings that leave me feeling transported to the time and place that this was constructed when the world wasn't quite such a global village and the results of which seem exotic even by today's standards.

Collin Walcott was a disciple of Ravi Shankar and generously handles all of the Indian instruments previously mentioned while the presence of Don Cherry more often associated as a free jazz solo artist as well as with his works with Ornette Coleman, Sonny Rollins, Sun Ra and a gazillion others offers his trumpet and free jazz talents to the mix. He not only blows his horn but also throws in a few flute performances and his lesser known talents on doussn'gouni, an African percussion instrument. Naná Vasconcelos is a Brazilian Latin jazz percussionist and berimbau (looks like a Chinese erhu) player. He handles all percussion, the cuica, talking drum as well as his signature berimbau.

The music on this album is sensual and light, contemplative and only subtlety complex as the instruments weave around each other but never deviate from the main musical frame. All is designed to support the other on this meditative trip around the globe. This is light and fluffy music that makes you feel like you are on the verge of an astral trip or in another realm of consciousness altogether. Whereas Shakti was all about the highest tempos possible, CODONA has no problem letting the music breathe in and out just like a student of vipassana would allowing the soul to contemplate every beautiful construct and enigmatic insight the universe has to offer.

I feel like I'm trespassing here as I've checked out this style of music years ago and I just have trouble appreciating it. Mind you if your going to take one album from this style you can't go wrong with this one. A trio with OREGON's Collin Walcott playing a variety of ethnic instruments, and how about Free Jazz legend Don Cherry along with Nana from Brazil playing a variety of ethnic percussive instruments.

It's like ethnic folk music really and I don't have the patience for it. I did think it was cool naming a track "Colemanwonder" it's only 3 1/2 minutes but opens with two Ornette Coleman pieces and ends with a Stevie Wonder bit, all unrecognizable. The opener and closer wre well over 10 minutes and this is where they stretch out but again I don't have the patience. Some might call this spiritual jazz because of who is involved and I should have mentioned this was released on the ECM label and that is a good home for this band, of course OREGON was there at the time.

They released three studio albums with this being the debut from 1979, and most feel this is their best. I do not like the album cover.