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Omri Ziegele Where's Africa: That Hat

By Dan McClenaghan
February 8, 2022
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Omri Ziegele, the Z��rich-based saxophonist, makes music with his big band Billiger Bauer and in duo format with pianist

Irene Schweizer

piano
b.1941

" data-original-title="" title="">Irene Schweizer, and also with his smaller groups, Noisy Minority and Where's Africa. He has established himself as a major force in the Z��rich jazz scene and as a major artist for Intakt Records. That Hat, his eleventh album for the label, features his Where's Africa trio, with keyboardist

Yves Theiler

keyboards

" data-original-title="" title="">Yves Theiler and drummer

Dario Sisera

percussion

" data-original-title="" title="">Dario Sisera .

It isn't always the case with Ziegele, or for Intakt Records for that matter, but That Hat is a catchy, groove-heavy, accessible set of songs. Keyboardist Theiler is brilliant on the keyboards—on electric piano, playing the booty-shaking bass parts with a Ktron GP1 with one hand, and laying down scintillating lines and on the Rhodes Mark II with his right hand.

Herbie Hancock

piano
b.1940

" data-original-title="" title="">Herbie Hancock's 1970s fusion days come to mind, and

Chick Corea

piano
1941 - 2021

" data-original-title="" title="">Chick Corea's Elektric Band, too.

For his part, Ziegele's saxophone has a tart, Zulu jive meets

Henry Threadgill

woodwinds
b.1944

" data-original-title="" title="">Henry Threadgill tone. All of the sounds here sound ripe for rip-off by the samplers of the world, with the danceable rhythms backdropping ebullient melodies from a joyful horn. Add some appealing chant-like singing on two tunes from the leader, and his occasional use of the Uzbek nai flute—on the gorgeous and reflective "Carpathian Folk Song"—adding more layering to the music that sounds at times simple, poppish. But it is a "simple" like Stevie Wonder's music is simple, or Herbie Hancock's Weather Report sets. Listen ten times, you'll hear new things with each spin. And you might just get up and cut a rug.

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Track Listing

Back Home; That Hat; Mother Is Always On Time; Carpatian Folk Song; Dying With The Wind; Woke Up On The Other Side Of My Heart; You Know, I Don't Know, Nobody Knows; Sunflowerpower.

Personnel

Omri Ziegele

saxophone, alto

Yves Theiler

keyboards

Additional Instrumentation

Omri Ziegle: nai flute; Dario Sisera: drums..

Album information

Title: That Hat | Year Released: 2022 | Record Label: Intakt Records

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