Shabaka and the Ancestors: Wisdom of Elders review – pulsing Afro-futurism

Watch a trailer for The Wisdom of Elders.

Already in contention for the Mercury prize with trio the Comet Is Coming, the ever-restless London saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings here joins up with a group of South African musicians led by trumpeter Mandla Mlangeni. Recorded in a single day, the set is steeped in what Hutchings calls Afro-futurism, with the influence of Sun Ra strong in the mix (plenty of rippling Fender Rhodes keyboards, occasional vocals), though the group also draw on South Africa’s heritage, notably on the 13-minute opener Mzwandile. Hutchings’s tenor cuts a path between melodicism and “out” playing, and Mlangene’s trumpet likewise veers between stately Miles-esque lines and urgent bursts of an almost New Orleans flavour. Pulsing, exploratory and vibrant.