John Densmore's Tribal Jazz

Sound: John Densmore’s Tribaljazz at Jazz Alley
Show: April 17 – 20, 2008, Set times Thursday through Saturday at 7:30PM and 9:30PM and Sunday at 7:30PM
Where: Jazz Alley

Who: John Densmore (drums)
Art Ellis (saxophone/flute)
Osama Afifi (bass)
Dennis Hamm (piano)
Christina Berio (percussion)
Aziz Faye (African drummer)
Marcel Adjibi (African drummer)

Album: Tribaljazz (Hidden Beach Recordings)

Cost: $25.50

 Tribaljazz, a brainchild of John Densmore, is an acoustic jazz quartet engine, fuel-injected with the percussion power of several African Master drummers. Tribaljazz brings a provocative and energetic new voice to the Jazz and Jamband world. Tribaljazz is an experience – it’s a seductive groove, with driving rhythms, that draws a wide eclectic audience - from Jazz aficionados and Classic rockers, to cutting edge Jamb and followers without age or demographic limits. 

 “For thirty years I’ve been saying I was a jazz drummer before I got into The Doors. In the years since then, I still claim to be a jazz drummer. The problem is I’ve never actually made any jazz records. Finally I am putting my sticks where my mouth is. I soon joined forces with Art Ellis, a veteran jazz performer and composer. Art had been producing his original Afro/Jazz music with Jimmy Haslip of the Yellowjackets, as well as performing as opening act in festivals with Sting, King Sunny Ade, Milton Nascimento and many others.  Forming the nucleus of what has become the Tribaljazz project, we began reworking the wonderfully melodic lines of Art’s music into a synthesis of world rhythms and acoustic classic jazz that pleases us both. The result was the infusion of a “tribal” sound with accessible, heartfelt jazz tunes.”  - John Densmore