Ezo has been in regular rotation on my ipod (yeah, I'm so old I still use an ipod...) since I received the record a few months ago. And yet I didn't write a review, not because I don't like it (I really do) but because I don't quite know how to approach reviewing it. Zangbeto is, at core, a trio of jazz musicians from Togo. A meeting with trumpet player, arranger and producer Félicien Bouchot led to the trio expanding into a quintet: drums, keys, bass, guitar and trumpet. My only experience of African jazz is South African, and while I do find some commonalities here, particularly in the reliance on bright major harmonies, Ezo sounds like its own thing. In fact, on of the things that makes it hard to discuss is the breadth of styles and moods in the record. While everything in Ezo is driven by powerful beats, there's a surprising variety of feeling throughout the track listing. I can't really say "if you like this style, you'll like this" because I can't pin them down, but if you like jazz that dances and makes you travel in spirit, then this is for you.
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