Chris Joris Quartet

'Simple compositions bathed in a mystical and intimate atmosphere where fragile melodies swirl through rustling tapestries of percussion. The dreamy stories told sound open and drawn from experience.' That is how www.kwadratuur.be described 'Rainbow Country', the latest CD from Chris Joris. The larger line-up on this recording has been distilled down to a quartet that seeks out the essence of the music. At the crossroads of jazz and traditional African music in terms of melody and rhythm, this quartet exudes freedom and a healthy dose of improvisation. Baba Sissoko's rarefied African voice sounds wistful as he accompanies himself with his precise plucking of the ngoni (a West African lute). Pure music that combines African openness and subdued jazz to create a sound of murmuring beauty. The Chris Joris Quartet stands for genuine musical crossover that benefits from an atmospheric live performance. African traditions shimmer like a ritual through the jazz of the New York saxophonist/flautist Eric Person and the Sardinian bassist Manolo Cabras. Multi-percussionist and pianist Chris Joris forges this all into what we now recognise as 'his jazzy world music'.