Direct-to-Disc Sessions

The demand for albums that capture live performance has long been omnipresent, but the clamour has intensified in the digital age. As vocals become further manipulated – and live instrumentation is relegated in favour of ‘in the box’ production – some records can sound detached. New label, Night Dreamer, offers a rebuttal. Named after Wayne Shorter's 1964 Blue Note record, its catalogue foregrounds the live process – Seun Kuti's Direct-to-Disc Sessions is the first offering. Recorded with an array of vintage equipment, the session took place in the middle of Egypt 80's world tour and features four evocative renditions of material from Kuti's most recent album Black Times. Here, the groove on ‘Bad Man Lighter (BML)’ is insatiable, while the force of ‘Struggle Sounds’ is full frontal and commanding. ‘Theory of Goat and Yam’, however, opens with a false start. The horns arrive, but the drums falter. But this moment is endearing rather than disruptive, making apparent the very liveness of the situation. Second time around the ensemble soars. While the material is familiar, the manner in which it is captured offers a rejuvenation; Black Times is presented with renewed vitality from an ensemble at the height of its powers.