Although June of ’44 and REX vet Doug Scharin hails from the American Midwest, him, his 13-piece dub/Afro-jazz/tribal ensemble, sounds as if it would be more at home as the house band at the hippest spot in Lagos, Nigeria. This is music to sip banana beer or palm wine by, as the big red sun blazingly sets palm trees into silhouettes as it sinks into the sea. Employing two drum sets, stand-up bass, hollow-body guitar, electronic keys and a small army of saxophones, him explores African diaspora frontiers out where only Sun Ra, Fela Kuti and James Brown at his wildest felt at home. Expect plenty of hypnotic repetition from this groove-a-licious ensemble, along with an imaginary ticket up the River Niger of your mind. Freedom Sold opens.
This article appears in Aug 9-15, 2001.
