Kazemde George - I Insist (2021) [Official Digital Download 24/96]

I Insist is the debut album from Brooklyn-based saxophonist and composer Kazemde George. The title is a shout-out to Max Roach’s landmark 1960 protest album We Insist! Freedom Now Suite, a statement of George’s own determined disposition as a Black American, and an acknowledgement of our turbulent times. Leading a quintet of stellar New York players - vocalist Sami Stevens, keyboardist Isaac Wilson, bassist Tyrone Allen II, and drummer Adam Arruda - the record is a vibrant collection of ten original compositions inspired by George’s interest in music of the African diaspora. “Understanding” features a Cuban changüí-inspired groove. “Haiti” originates from one of George’s own looped electronic beats. Stevens contributes lyrics to the laid-back “Skylight” and the somewhat sorrowful “Happy Birthday,” as well as wordless vocals to three others. The music is unapologetically swinging and fully engaged, whether simmering on a low flame or reaching climactic heights of intensity.

Tracklist:
1. Things Line Up (04:20)
2. Coasts (07:12)
3. Balance (05:32)
4. Skylight (06:36)
5. Haiti (04:24)
6. I Insist (09:00)
7. Happy Birthday (06:01)
8. Parkside (10:06)
9. This Spring (06:59)
10. Understanding (07:29)


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