Hi-Life Jazz

Hi-Life Jazz is a super-cool and joyously good natured new release from the Ghanaian veteran. This is his 35th album and, well into his 70s, it sees Ambolley smoothly mixing old-school highlife with vintage jazz and his own simigwa style. He starts with three highlife tracks before respectfully tackling some jazz gems.

Much of the joy within Ambolley's music comes from the superb musicians in his ensemble, particularly noteworthy when heard on the new version of Thelonius Monk's ‘Round Midnight’. This highlife influenced version (here as ‘Round Midnite’) sounds better than the dirge-like live version on Ambolley's 2001 Afrikan Jaazz album. Other jazz standards are covered – Wayne Shorter's ‘Footprints’ and Miles Davis’ ‘All Blues’ – both of which are his 2001 versions, blue and funky but still with a cool highlife flavour. Equally successful is Ambolley's take on the first movement of John Coltrane's A Love Supreme prayer to God. Perhaps a bold move to tackle Coltrane. This has more vocals than Coltrane's original, it's less avant-garde, and has an infectious West African shuffle rhythm.