Recording of the Week, Shabaka & The Ancestors - We Are Sent Here By History

Easily one of the most recognisable faces in the modern UK jazz scene, saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings is a player who is never afraid to diversify; ex-Melt Yourself Down collaborator, he currently leads the cosmic, synth-driven The Comet Is Coming and the aggressive Sons of Kemet, with both projects releasing full-length LPs to universal acclaim in the past couple of years. Born in London to Barbadian parents and growing up in Birmingham and Barbados, from a young age he took equal interest in the worlds of hip-hop and classical clarinet playing; entering the London jazz scene after his return to the UK, Hutchings is typically seen with his tenor in hand, though his bass clarinet still finds its place on his recordings. The third project he leads is the spiritually charged Shabaka and The Ancestors, which sees the saxophonist accompanied by a group of South African musicians in an ensemble of saxophones, keys, bass and percussion; with one 2016 release (Wisdom of Elders) already under their belt, We Are Sent Here By History is very much a continuation of the group’s meditative style.

We Are Sent Here By History presents itself as both a futuristic and ancestral journey, honouring his accompanying Ancestors’ South African roots in the music and occasional poetry, the overall tone of the record is ominous and dreadful. Decidedly less high-energy than Sons of Kemet or The Comet Is Coming, The Ancestors still retain a solid rhythmic backbone, with Hutchings’ signature staccato phrased melodies fleshed out with duelling woodwinds. While his horn on Kemet or Comet recordings can sometimes bark and screech, on this record it plays more of a guide than an aggressor, though his melodic sensibilities and rich, thick tone remain distinctive all the same. That is not to say that this album is restrained; tracks like the opener They Who Must Die and Behold, The Deceiverhave their moments of escalation and tension, as the apocalyptic narrative of the record unfolds.

Besides the foreboding prophetic messages, The Ancestors do touch on more humanistic struggles on tunes like We Will Work (On Redefining Manhood) and Teach Me How to Be Vulnerable, with the latter’s breathy sax solo closing out the album on a more sombre note. It is of course with his collaborators, The Ancestors themselves, that the more obvious textural differences become apparent; the earthy acoustic arrangements are a refreshing palette and ideal backdrop to this eerie, spiritual journey. The Ancestors’ earthy sonic textures are only further aided by the brilliant production; the percussion is dense, the double bass is full and fat, and the aforementioned duos of woodwinds and keys glide through and glisten above the rhythmic base of the tunes.

On what is now Shabaka’s third release in the Impulse! Records catalogue, The Ancestors continue the tradition of fellow spiritual jazz legends and labelmates like Alice Coltrane and Pharaoh Sanders, while also further cementing the saxophonist as a mainstay in the UK jazz scene, even if his accompanying ensemble hail from over 8,000 miles away.