Peter Somuah - Highlife
P
ACT 8001-2 CD / LP / Digital
Trumpeter/composer Peter Somuah is originally from Ghana, now based in his adopted home of Rotterdam. In his youth he performed four nights a week in "highlife" bands and this album is grounded in dance music. He has one foot in modern jazz, the other in highlife.
Alongside the members of his Rotterdam-based band, Somuah invited young Ghanaian musicians on to the album. Singer Lamisi Akuka features on “African Continent” and brings soulful musical influences from the northern part of Ghana, while Bright Osei Baffour provides distinctive highlife riffs on the guitar and Thomas Botchway adds superb talking drum.
Highlife is characterised by a traditional finger-picking style of guitar, minimalistic yet groovy bass lines, percussive keyboard patterns, soulful melody lines from the brass section, and much emphasis on rhythm. Somuah has taken these well-trodden elements and added his own vision to create something special. His brass melodies are punchy, memorable and hard-bop flavoured. Each track has a different syncopated groove, equally dance-able and listenable. The mix sparkles and the sound is compellingly vintage, with drums being dry and compressed, enabling the interaction with percussion to really stand out.
The album also tells a story described by Somuah: "I'm talking about the enduring legacy of the colonial era: many Ghanaians are still mentally enslaved, see themselves as inferior. They don't dare to proudly present themselves and to contribute their skills". His own vocal describes this in "Mental Slavery" which is warmly conversational and also offers an ace trumpet solo. "African continent" has a brilliant 12/8 groove, with a two chord vamp from guitar, organ stabs and another nice unison theme. Lamisi Akuka adds the improvisatory vocal and lyrics.
"Re-imagined" has cracking piano and trumpet solos, supported by a skin-tight rhythm, section."Conquerer" is a feature for a very smokey and rhythmic trumpet work-out, seasoned with electric piano, clavinet and Vox Continental style organ.
"Bruce Road" develops from a hypnotic double bass riff, with percussion and keys added gradually, then trumpet and sax join in a carefully orchestrated build up."We give thanks" has the warm singing of Pat Thomas, with more Vox-ish organ. "Jamestown" has a cunningly constructed beat; drums, percussion, bass and clavinet all leaving acres of space for each other.
After a few listens this album really grabbed me, particularly the percussion. The fine trumpet work and memorable compositions by Peter Somuah make it a must listen for anyone interested in Ghanian flavourered jazz. Creative, tuneful and danceable!
© Stephen Godsall
Stephen Godsall is a multi-instrumentalist and composer based in Southern England. To find out more go to https://www.youtube.com/@StephenGodsall
BANDCAMP
Musicians:
Peter Somuah trumpet, vocals, cowbell, compositions, production
Jesse Schilderink tenor saxophone
Anton de Bruin keyboard, rhodes, synth
Jens Meijer drums
Danny Rombout congas, shekere
Marijn van de Ven double & electric bass
Lamisi Akuka vocals
Thomas Botchway talking drum & shekere on #09
Pat Thomas vocals
Gyedu-Blay Ambolley vocals
Bright Osei Baffour guitar on #02, #05 and #09
Recorded at Butterama Recording Center in Berlin, Germany, on 4 – 6 March 2024
Recorded by Rouven Lazlo Haegner
Mixed by Benjamin Spitzmüller and Anton de Bruin
Mastered by Stuart Hawkes
