Roots Magic - Long Old Road (2023)

Since their appearance at the 2021 edition of the Jazz em Agosto festival Roots Magic confirmed the new sextet line-up featuring veteran multi reeds player Eugenio Colombo and vibes specialist Francesco Lo Cascio. “Long Old Road” is the group’s fourth Clean Feed release and for the first time the track list includes a higher number of original compositions as counterpoint to the usual selection of reworked tunes from the early blues/free jazz repertoire. Two of the original compositions come as dedications in spirit to Muhal Richard Abrams and Abdul Wadud while others include literary quotes from writers and activists such as Toni Morrison, Benjamin Zephaniah and Z.Z.Packer. The album opens with the soulful beat of a Kahil el Zabar piece and develops through an extremely varied program including vibrant grooves, ecstatic free jazz explosions and overtly poetic zones; among these: a meditative, abstract rendition of Bessie Smith’s classic “Long Old Road” and a closing triumphant version of Cal Massey’s “Things Have Got to Change”. Needless to add that this expanded line up offers a wider sound palette full of new colors and timbres, all ingredients that enrich the already solid Roots Magic esthetic.