Bassist, vocalist and composer Alune Wade returned to Seattle for the Earshot Jazz Festival in October and brought his new album tracing the path of music and culture between his native Senegal and the origins of jazz in New Orleans.
Rather than tracing the roots of jazz, the album New African Orleans examines the cultural "branches" of those roots in the United States.
Wade told us that he heard the music of New Orleans in Senegalese radio shows that featured jazz legends like Sidney Bechet and Louis Armstrong long before he learned about the cultural importance of the city.
In 2015, Wade produced a jazz festival on Gorée island off the Senegalese coast, an historic location involved in the Atlantic slave trade. “That was my first connection with the diaspora,” Wade explained.
Inspired by the history, Wade decided that “it was time for African people, people like me, to do this project with New Orleans.”
The connections are numerous, including the stage name origins of one of New Orleans’ most famous musicians. Mac Rebbenack took his stage name Dr. John from a man from Senegal named Jean Montanet who lived in New Orleans in the 1800s. Sometimes known as "Voudoo John," he possessed, Wade said, “a lot of magic, a lot of natural power.”
Wade’s new album includes his version of Dr. John’s song “Gris Gris Gumbo Yaya,” which tells the story of Montanet. He lived near Congo Square in New Orleans where African slaves there were allowed to make music on Sundays. More than 400 years ago, that place and time marked the origins of blues, jazz and American music.
Other connections Wade mentions include drum rhythms and cuisine drawn from West Africa, and even a tenuous link to Seattle’s native rock and roll hero, Jimi Hendrix. New African Orleans includes a cover of the Hendrix classic “Voodoo Child” with Wade singing some of the lyrics in his native Wolof language.
The Alune Wade septet brought all of this history to the KNKX studios in a most joyous performance of four songs, including a funky number from a past album called “Black Booty” that had our audience cheering for more.
Wade told us that he looks forward to keeping his connections to his fans and friends in the U.S. strong and even joked that his next album “will be Senegal-Seattle!” Until then, enjoy this West African-New Orleans gumbo from the Alune Wade band.
Musicians:
- Alune Wade - bass, vocals
- Alix Goffic - drums
- Cédric Douchemann - keyboards
- Victor Ademofe - trumpet, talking drums
- Harry Ahonlonsou - tenor and soprano saxophones
- Leah Concialdi - baritone saxophone
- Matt Breuer - trombone, sousaphone
Songs:
- Night Tripper
- Watermelon Man
- Boogie and Juju
- Black Booty
