Album Notes

In 1996 Africa Festival of the Arts commissioned former Miles Davis musical director/producer, Robert Lee Irving III, a.k.a. Baabe, to compose and perform a Pan African/Jazz Suite entitled “Soul Remembering”. Track numbers 3, 4, 8 & 9 are updated versions from that project. That memorable 1996 performance of Irving’s 14- piece African Arts Ensemble featured special guests, saxophonist David Murray violinist, Regina Carter and poet/percussionist, Kahil El Zabar. Another version of the group performed at the festival in 1998. The current ensemble includes three members of the original group (Eddie Mason, Yaya Kabo and Mae Oneita Koen) with a new generation of young players including 15 year-old Jeremy Irving on guitar and percussion, 22 year-old trumpeter Cory Wilkes (who has achieved international prominence with the Art Ensemble of Chicago) and 20 year-old trombone phenomenon, Norman Palm Jr. (coming from a famous musical family…he has performed with many jazz greats) along
with guitarist/vocalist Curtis Robinson (Ramsey Lewis, Isaac Hayes Eddie Harris), bassist, Ohave Orlando Paul Condon II, (who lived in Israel for 25 years touring with Middle Eastern stars like Yorham Garom and Zorhar Gove) drummer/vocalist, Terry Garrett (popular on reggae circuit with artists like Debbie Defire),
Senegalese hand-drummer, Yaya Kabo (Muntu Dance Company), percussionist, Eddie Mason (also a professional music therapist), a great horn section consisting of tenor saxophonist, Doug Rosenberg (Bob Moses, J. Davis Trio, Danilo Perez), alto saxophonist, Dan Nicholson (Joe Lovano, Arturo Sandoval, Maria Schneider), Corey Wilkes and Norman Palm Jr. who are mentioned above. Featured vocalists are Molinea “Isha” Lewis (The Late Night Band/Orchestra 33 and Drew Lane Orchestra), Mae Oneita Koen (Aretha Franklin), Gerald McClendon (Public Eye) and special-guest vocalist Sherry Scott an original member of Earth Wind & Fire, This CD also contains a medley in tribute to Earth Wind & Fire, a group with Chicago roots that was the first to espouse the wonders of Ancient Egypt. Also prominently featured throughout the CD is spoken word artist, Bikbaye Inejnema who is also Editor of The Sunnyside Magazine. His stories and poems in the Ancient Kemetic language bring the Medu of the Pharaoh’s back to life.


SONG SELECTIONS AND INFO


1. HAYZA SUUNU (HEALING SONG) Time 5:31
(Composed by R. Irving III/ Naba Lamoussa Morodenibig & The African Arts Ensemble
©2004 Vitasia Music Publishing Co. BMI)

This was the first track recorded by the group. Without any prior notice, the producer/keyboardist, Baabe Irving III asked the rhythm and horn section to improvise over a D minor modal pallet and to listen to the piano for a cue to superimpose a G minor- 13th flatted 5th chord over the D minor pedal tone. Yaya Kabo (who plays for Muntu Dance Company) plays the initial drum “call”. The rhythm that follows is a sequenced loop of a tradition drum pattern used in healing ceremonies as conveyed by a Dogon Priest. The group continues to improvise over this rhythm. The vocalists were given the words Hayza Suunu (literally “song healing”) along with the phonetically sounds for “healing for the heart, healing for the soul and healing for the earth” in the Kemetic Medu or Language (“suunu em ib, sunnu em ka, suunu em ta-we”). They each improvised melodic phrases in separate sessions. Sherry Scott (former original vocalist for Earth Wind & Fire) opens with a powerful vocal improvisation (which is her signature sound) followed by a very melodic vocal by Molina “Isha” Lewis (known around Chicago for her work with Orchestra 33 and the Drew Lane Orchestra) She and Sherry had last worked together in 1992 in a theatrical production entitled, “Kentu & The Law of Love”. Incidentally, the “Correlative Healing Chart For Sound Therapy” published by Wayne Perry in 1993 states that the key of F (which is the relative major key for D minor, the key this song is in) “has a positive effect on the bladder, the heart, the kidneys, and the thymus and helps insomnia, reduces blood pressure and promotes compassion and resolution”.

2. NEFER MERRT (BEAUTIFUL LOVE) Time 6:12
(Composed by R. Irving III ©2004 Vitasia Music Publishing Co. BMI)

This composition is an adaptation of Irving’s instrumental composition “All Is Well” which appeared on his Polygram debut CD in 1988 entitled, “Midnight Dream”. It opens with a story about the first known “holy drama” from Ancient Kemetic texts. This story inspired and influenced a similar Greek mythology drama and well as others. This narration was written, translated and spoken by Bikbaye Inejnema, an initiate into the Kemetic priesthood and Editor of The Sunnyside Magazine in Chicago. Molinea “Isha” Lewis sings the lead vocal. Irving take a terse electric piano solo in the interlude and drummer, Terry Garrett takes a brief drum solo at the close.

3. UJAH EER-TIN (I’M GREETING YOU) Time 4:10
(Composed by R. Irving III ©2004 Vitasia Music Publishing Co. BMI)
The original title of this song was “Nungadef” (a greeting in the Wolof Language of Senegal) as performed by the 1996 version of the African Arts Ensemble. This new version is a fun song that teaches all the common greetings in Medu (the Ancient Hieroglyphic word for language). See the lyric sheet for the complete “lesson”. Baabe Irving III performs the rap. Curtis Robinson (who has played with Isaac Hayes, The Emotions and Eddie Harris) is the guitar soloist. Eddie Mason (also Irving’s partner in a 16 year old music therapy business), Yaya Kubo and Jeremy Irving (Baabe Irving’s 15-year old son) are featured on the percussion break.


4. SOUL REMEMBERING Time 6:04
(Composed by R. Irving III © 1996 Vitasia Music Publishing Co. BMI)
The original African Arts Ensemble also performed this composition in 1996. It is virtually unchanged except for the horn arrangements. It speaks about remembering the Ancient African roots of all humanity and how Ancient knowledge has led to what we refer to as modern technology. The lyric raises the question, “where are my diamonds…where is my gold” (as the bridge harmonies, which follow, musically mirror a “search” for the answer). Vocalist, Mae Oneita Koen (a background vocalist for Aretha Franklin for over 2 ½ years) asserts the “answer” with her own signature sound, singing, “deep inside my heart and soul”, followed by a cool tenor saxophone solo featuring, Doug Rosenberg (a hard-working leader of several bands including a duo group with drummer, Bob Moses). Curtis Robinson is, again heard on solo guitar.

5. SUN GODDESS/RUNNING/GET AWAY (EWF Medley) Time 8:24
(“Sungodess” by M. White/J. Lind published by Big Boovah Music/BMI & EMI April Music/BMI, “Runnin” by, E. Del Barrio/R. L. Dunn/M. White, published by EMI April Music “Get Away” by B. Taylor/P. Core published by EMI April Music/ASCAP)
Here, the group deviates from the CD format of songs in Medu to pay tribute to the “elements of the universe”, Earth Wind & Fire, as the first group to espouse the wonders of Ancient Kemet on their albums and songs. Every musician in the African Arts Ensemble including the younger members has been touched by the music of this classic group. Producer Baabe Irving III attributes his “connecting” with Miles Davis to be a direct result of his connection to the E W & F “family” and music. Irving says, “The music of Earth Wind and Fire is in our D/N/A…it is challenging yet elating for the group to play.” The entire medley was recorded in one take. Bassist Ohave shines. Solos on Sun Goddess are performed by saxophonist Doug Rosenberg and Baabe Irving III on electric piano.

6. JETTA NEB HERU (EVERY ETERNAL DAY) Time 8:55
(Composed by R. Irving III ©2004 Vitasia Music Publishing Co. BMI)
The original title, “Every Today” speaks of the fact that in some indigenous African cultures, there is no word or concept for yesterday or tomorrow. There is just one eternal today. Medu is a conceptual language and many Western phrases cannot be literally translated into Medu and so the intended English title is “Every Today”. Irving produced an earlier version on a CD for Ron Friedman, which featured Count Basie Band vocalist, Christopher Murrell. Another instrumental version of this tune was arranged by Irving for big band and premiered in a live performance with T.S. Galloway’s Big Band in early summer 2004. This arrangement more closely mirrors that version. Irving, as a student of Medu, used words and phrases he had learned to create phrases that corresponded to the original melody. The result is a more “poetic” and less literal rendering of Medu. Irving sings the melody and vocalese on the vamp complimenting the powerful vocal of Molinea “Isha” Lewis. Curtis Robinson is featured on solo guitar, Doug Rosenberg on solo flute, with Mason and Kabo on percussion breaks.



7. TIME WON’T TELL (ALL TIME IS NOW) Time 7:37
(Composed by R. Irving III ©1988 Melodies Por L’Enfant Music Publishing Co.
BMI/Universal Songs)
In 1989 when this song was featured on Irving’s Polygram debut (then sung by Phil Perry), African Arts Ensemble current bassist, Ohave Orlando Paul Condon II was living in Israel (for 25 years) and touring the Middle East and Mediterranean with Zorhar Gove, Gale’ Atara and Israeli star, Yorham Garom while listening to “Time Won’t Tell…” as it was often played on “Voice Of America” radio station (broadcasted from a ship in the free zone of the Mediterranean Sea). He once met one of the station’s DJ’s in a bar as the ship ported in Greece. He inquired about that song and was informed that it was written by a Chicago based artist. Ohave requested, “could you play it nine or ten times for me?” The DJ satisfied his request. At that time the U.S.S.R. was yet thought to be a threat to US security, the Berlin Wall still stood and Nelson Mandela was still in prison. The following year, all of that changed. The lyrics are as timely today, with the fear of terrorism and the continuance of war and global conflicts (see lyric sheet). This version is co-led by Sherry Scott, Gerald McClendon (a very busy Chicago vocalist/composer/recording artist) and Molinea Isha Lewis. Drummer, Terry Garrett lends support in the background vocal chorus with Mae Oneita Koen. The guitar solo is by Curtis Robinson; the lead guitar is by young Jeremy Irving.


8. HEMPT NUBIAN (NUBIAN GIRL) Time 5:43
(Adapted, transcribed and arranged by R. Irving III from “Diaraby Nene” Composed by Oumou Sangare © World Circuit Music. Kemetic lyric by Bikbaye Inejnema)
While in New York in 1994 Irving was introduced to African music from Mali. Irving explains, “The tape copy I had heard was only labeled, ‘The Women of Mali’, so I assumed that this was the name of the artist. There were no song titles. I was mesmerized by the warmth of the vocalist’s voice the complex simplicity of the of the arrangement with the spare instrumentation of just guitar, violin and percussion.” Irving recalls, “This music was so compelling it stayed in my head for the next two years. When commissioned to write for the African Festival of the Arts in 1996, I decided to transcribe the song from memory arranging an instrumental version. For this project I decided to arrange it with a Kemetic lyric. While playing the newly arranged version for a friend who publishes a Kemetic cultural magazine, he recognized the song and gave me all the info on the original artist. It was Malian singer, Oumou Sagare. The song was “Diaragy Nene.” Bikbaye Inejnema wrote a simple yet beautiful story about a Nubian girl named Hajima.” Inejnema and Irving worked on lining up the phonetic values of the Medu story with the melody. The vocalists endured the challenge of singing the Medu at an extremely fast pace. The horn section trades solo choruses starting with Dan Nicholson on alto sax, Corey Wilkes (22 year-old player who is rising in prominence on the international Jazz scene with the Chicago Art Ensemble and others) on trumpet, Doug Rosenberg on tenor sax and Norman Palm Jr. (23 year old Chicago phenomenon) on trombone.



9. ABRAHEIM ABSHALOM (ABRAHAM FATHER OF PEACE) Time 8:34
(Composed by R. Irving III ©2004 Vitasia Music Publishing Co. BMI)
Baabe Irving first learned the chorus melody heard on this song while conducting an Interdisplinary arts workshop in Paris, France with saxophonist, David Murray and master Senegalese, drummer Doudou N’Daiye Rose, (who taught this traditional melody that has been sang for many years in Senegal). The next year, in Senegal, Irving played on a recorded version on David Murray’s CD entitled, Fodeuk Revue. Rose arranged the version called, “Chant Africa”. It featured the vocals of the group Dieuf Dieul. At the 1996 African Festival of The Arts, Baabe and the African Arts Ensemble (with David Murray as a guest) performed Irving’s new arrangement with added verses. The expanded version on this project includes a soli intro on which Bikbaye Inejnema recites the entire content of both verses in Medu. **Abraham, Father of Peace became the new theme. Irving explains, “Abraham is honored as the patriarch of the three predominant world religions…” This song suggests a return to this commonality as a step towards world peace. Irving intimates, “Peace is the natural state of being… We have only to let it be.” Sherry Scott radiates her warm sound as she echoes the first verse sung by Gerald McClendon and the second verse sung by Molinea Isha Lewis. Sherry commands the remainder of the choruses with her tasteful ad-libs. Jeremy Irving is featured on lead guitar and the guitar solo. The muted trumpet solo features the talented young, Corey Wilkes.

**NOTE: Interestingly, the name of Abraham (as many Hebrew and Arabic words), has its origin in Medu: Ab=purity Ra=sun (god) ham or hiem=in me. This translates into: “The purity of Ra (is) in me”.