Surman, John / Eddie Louiss / Daniel Humair - Our Kind of Sabi LP

The brilliant French Hammond organist and pianist Eddy Louiss worked with the likes of Kenny Clarke, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Stan Getz; reed player John Surman and drummer Daniel Humair have long been major forces on the European scene. Louiss also recorded the title piece on Stan Getz’s Dynasty album – here the trio presents a wilder version with fiery solos from Surman’s baritone and Louiss on Hammond. This trio likes their Sabi hot with a Spanish tinge. On the Martinique folk song Zafe Ko Ida, the great Norwegian bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pederson joins Louiss on Marimba and Humair on drums, keeping with the tradition of the Caribbean before Eddy switches to piano and the three transform the sound of the islands into swinging jazz. Song For Martine brings Surman back on soprano and Louiss once again sitting behind the Hammond with a plaintive balladic feel before moving into an Afro-Latin groove that underpins passionate solos. On Humair’s Out Of The Sorcellery Louiss pedals the Latinesque two-beat bass line on Hammond as he and Humair conjure their magical interplay. A classy trio album with Louiss’ superb Hammond organ play front and center and a glimmering of the Caribbean dancing in the shadows.