COMPOSERS: Joe Harriott • Amanico D'Silva Quartet
LABELS: Dutton Vocalion
ALBUM TITLE: Hum Dono
PERFORMER: Joe Harriott (sax), Amancio D’Silva (guitar), Norma Winstone (vocals) etc
CATALOGUE NO: CDSML 8505
This disc arguably ranks as one of the most eagerly awaited jazz CD reissues in recent years. The original vinyl LP of Hum Dono has been changing hands for triple figures: its highly desirable reputation not just based on its rarity but on the outstanding musicianship of those involved. The Jamaican-born saxist Joe Harriott, a key figure in the Indo-Jazz fusion movement of the late 1960s, joins with Indian guitarist Amancio D’Silva and a stellar line-up, all British jazz legends in their own right. Vocalist Norma Winstone’s wordless vocals lend an ethereal quality, as in ‘Ballad for Goa’, interspersed with free-jazz sax runs and D’Silva’s shimmering guitar. ‘Jaipur’ is a classic, with Dave Green’s growling bass line underpining the wonderful unison texture of Winstone’s vocals and Ian Carr’s flugelhorn. Hum Dono makes a very welcome 21st-century return.
Neil McKim
