(jazz, fusion, psychedelic, spiritual) Gonda Sextet - Samanenek - 1976, MP3, 256 kbps

Hungarian pianist and composer Janos Gonda formed his sextet in 1972. On the album Samanenek (Shaman Song) the band combines elements of traditional and modern jazz with modern classic, ethnic styles or partly blues and swing. The used mostly archaic sounding ethnic styles, tibetan, west indies, afro, combined with voice and singing, generate a special spiritual depth.

Sámánének was recorded by a sextet (piano, bass, voice/ guitar, congas, saxophone and drums) led by Hungarian jazz pianist János Gonda, with three additional performers on congas, trombone and trumpet.
"Shaman Song - Kamass Dirge" starts as an Eastern-European litany with jumpy brass arrangements which soon bloom to form a jazzy ramble with deranged vocals, before the track ends in a zeuhl-ish effervescence that retains the ethnic element (in the vocals). "Dialogue" is a jazzy promenade with a stylish battle between piano and bass. The 9-minute "Confused Heads" is another track that combines elements of jazz, ethnic incantations and zeuhl, without excelling at either as the whole thing sounds incoherent. Unsurprisingly when considering the title, the 12-minute "Afro-Cuban" revisits Afro-Cuban rhythms in a swing context, without particularly enthralling results, while the 7-minute "Profane Feast" engages in more regular singing but overall it's more of the same.

Janos Gonda: piano, electric piano
Gabor Balasz: bass
Tamas Berki: vocals, guitar, percussion
Istvan Dely: congas, percussion
Peter Kantor: soprano & alto saxophones
Gyula Kovacs: drums, percussion
Laszlo Dely: congas, percussion (4, 6)
Karoly Friedrich: trombone (1, 4, 6)
Endre Sipos: trumpet (1, 4, 6)

Recorded At – MHV
Label: Pepita ‎– SLPX 17484
Design and photos Miklos Kolio