At 88 years of age, the Ghanian highlife and afrobeat pioneer Ebo Taylor travelled to the US for the very first time to perform at the now iconic Jazz Is Dead concert series, selling out venues across the country. It was during this time that Ebo recorded a psychedelic afrobeat album alongside Adrian Younge & Ali Shaheed Muhammad. This mind-blowing collaboration is one that could not have been anticipated by Ebo fans worldwide and will surely satisfy connoisseurs of classic West African funk.
The swirling horns and gritty guitars heard on Ebo Taylor JID022 are reminiscent of his seminal seventies recordings that made him one of Africa’s most prolific and revolutionary artists of all time. Recorded inside of Younge’s Linear Labs studio, this album captures polyrhythmic percussion and twangy, fuzzed out guitars that prove that rhythm is key. The ensemble of Ghanian background vocalists emanates a uniquely spiritual sound that takes the listener back to Ebo’s prime.
However, one of the most exhilarating components to this album is Ebo’s signature approach to vocal stylings. His heartfelt lyrics about love, peace and spirituality echo nearly a centuary of experience and wisdom. Songs such as “Beye Bu, Beye Ba” demonstrate how God provides for his people as songs like “Kusi Na Sibo” teach life lessons on gratitude. This is an afrobeat classic that stands as a true highlight in the canon of Ebo Taylor’s undeniable catalog and a crown jewel in the Jazz Is Dead library.