Saturday, November 21, 2009

Outhouse: Britian's New Avant Garde

Outhouse (group; 2004)

African rhythms and jazz have always been a great combination, but doing it well isn't always easy. Outhouse, a new collective from London, seem to be doing it with justice, integrity and invention. On their self titled debut, Outhouse (Babel Records) from 2008, settles right in with the aesthetics of European jazz (ethereal with sprinkles of experimentation). Their use of two tenor saxophonists and the influence of African drums makes their music more interesting than some of the more Miles Davis inspired acts coming out of Norway and Sweden at the moment. The second album from Outhouse entitled Outhouse Ruhabi (Loop) explores their African influences further with collaboration from Gambian drum outfit Ruhabi (hence the album title). Outhouse Ruhabi is fantastic concoction of European and African motifs that if you are fan of world music you are bound to enjoy. Both albums are a fascinating listens and definitely put Outhouse in the shop window as a band to look out for over the next couple of years.


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