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Lost Tribe: Lost Tribe
Lost TribeLost Tribe
Windham Hill Jazz
1993
Today's Rediscovery ultimately jumpstarted the careers of five young musicians who have since gone on to varying degrees of greater fame and exposure. While not necessarily household names, few who follow the contemporary jazz scene will be unaware of saxophonist
David Binney
saxophone, altob.1961
Adam Rogers
guitarb.1965
David Gilmore
guitar
Fima Ephron
bass, electric
Ben Perowsky
drumsb.1966
George Winston
piano1949 - 2023
Of the five, Binney is the one to garner, perhaps, the greatest acclaim as a composer...so much so that his equally impressive acumen as a saxophonist is sometimes overlooked. Albums like South (ACT, 2003), Graylen Epicenter (Mythology, 2011) and, in particular, 2014's career pinnacle Anacapa (Criss Cross) have reinforced Binney's ever-growing reputation as one of the more influential composers of his generation. Defined by sometimes knotty yet somehow always memorable thematic constructs layered over complex polyrhythmic foundations, Binney's music may challenge but, more often than not, manages to remain somehow strangely accessible. Still, as he has been making clear on more recent records like Lifted Land (Criss Cross, 2013)—but, in reality, dating right back to Lost Tribe's 1993 debut—he's a saxophonist with plenty to offer, too.
Rogers' discography as a leader is significantly smaller, but his work with everyone from
Chris Potter
saxophone, tenorb.1971
Randy Brecker
trumpetb.1945
Norah Jones
pianob.1979
Ravi Coltrane
saxophone, tenorb.1965
Like Rogers, Gilmore's own body of work is relatively small, but his collaborations with others—including cutting his teeth with
Steve Coleman
saxophone, altob.1956
Don Byron
clarinetb.1958
Ephron's career has largely been more left of center, affiliated with
John Zorn
saxophone, altob.1953
David Fiuczynski
guitarb.1964
Mike Stern
guitarb.1953
Dave Douglas
trumpetb.1963
Rez Abbasi
guitar, acousticb.1965
Uri Caine
pianob.1956
Salif Keita
vocalsDespite being an egalitarian collective with compositions contributed by everyone in the band, Binney still contributes the relative lion's share, with four tracks to the other members' two each. From his frenetic opener, "Mythology—where a rapid-fire guitar line and fast funk groove drive Binney's sharp, staccato theme—to the slower-paced, wonderfully chord-driven "Dick Tracy" that follows, with its longer-toned theme and a solo section built around a repeating ascending riff where Rogers' fuzz-toned questions are answered by Gilmore's pianistic guitar synth, these are the one-two punch that introduces Lost Tribe as a group of no constraint, few rules...and zero compromise.
Other highlights include Ephron's lyrical ballad, "Procession," its swelling guitar chords and textural drumming creating a gentle, ethereal cushion over which Binney takes a spare solo pure of tone and compositionally connected to what's happening around him. While Perowksy's hip hop-inflected "Letter to the Editor," complete with rap, seemed like a weak spot at the time for jazz fans who rankled at the stylistic intrusion, time has proven much kinder. Gilmore's thundering, riff-driven "Eargasm" reflects the mathematical designs of M-Base, but like the rest of the record, it manages to somehow fit within the group's overall purview; as different as every writer in the band was then (and is now), the whole thing sounds like nothing but Lost Tribe.
Rogers' ambling "Rhinoceros" and more up-tempo and idiosyncratic "Mofungo" are two additional highlights....but heck, the truth is: every track on Lost Tribe is a winner. Produced by
Steely Dan
band / ensemble / orchestrab.1972
Walter Becker
guitar1950 - 2017
As their individual careers began to pick up steam, Many Lifetimes (Arabesque) reunited the group (but without Gilmour) four later, but was unfairly criticized for being more subdued in tone; the truth, however, is that it simply reflected the maturity and growth its remaining four members had undergone in those intervening years.
Despite Lost Tribe reuniting for a show at
Matthew Garrison
bass, electricb.1970
Tracks: Mythology; Dick Tracy; Procession; Letter To The Editor; Eargazm; Rhinoceros; Mofungo; Space; Four Directions; Fool For Thought; T.A. the W. (Tender as the Wind); Cause and Effect.
Personnel: Ben Perowsky: drums, percussion, samples, rap; Adam Rogers: guitar; Fima Ephron: bass; David Binney: alto saxophone; David Gilmore: guitar, guitar synthesiser.
So, what are your thoughts? Do you know this record, and if so, how do you feel about it?
[Note: You can read the genesis of this Rediscovery column here.]
Tags
Lost Tribe
Rediscovery
John Kelman
United States
New York
New York City
David Binney
Adam Rogers
David Gilmore
Fima Ephron
Ben Perowsky
George Winston
Alex De Grassi
Chris Potter
randy brecker
Norah Jones
Ravi Coltrane
Steve Coleman
Don Byron
John Zorn
David Fiuczynski
Mike Stern
Dave Douglas
Rez Abbasi
Uri Caine
Salif Keita
steely dan
Walter Becker
Matthew Garrison
Comments
About Lost Tribe
Instrument: Band / ensemble / orchestra
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