Named after a word in Ghana’s Fante language, meaning “it’s up to you”, Sean Khan presents ‘Azawala’, the second single from his upcoming album ‘Supreme Love : a Journey Through Coltrane’, featuring UK jazz pioneer Peter King and a remix by Kaidi Tatham.
Steeped in 12/8 African rhythms, Azawala’s overall feel pays homage to Coltrane’s recordings of such classics as Ole, My Favourite Things, and Afro Blue, acknowledging the essential role of African music and culture within jazz.
This track notably features the powerful last performance by English jazz saxophonist Peter King, who sadly passed away in August 2020, shortly after the recording. The historical significance of King’s artistic career simply cannot be over-stated. It’s safe to say he was probably the last surviving link between the legends of the 1960s New York scene and Europe. He played the first ever gig at Ronnie Scott’s club in 1959 and went on to perform with, among many others, Philly Joe Jones, Elvin Jones, Bud Powell, Ray Charles; recording with Freddie Hubbard, Tubby Hayes and Miles Davis collaborator George Coleman, to name but a few.
As Khan puts it: “the solo Peter plays on Azawala put simple is world class. I do hope people who know my work and probably know me more for my underground status will open themselves up to Peter’s playing and let a master of the improvised art form tell his story.”
The remix of Azawala is delivered by another undisputed master, this time from the Broken Beat scene: Kaidi Tatham (with a great mixdown by Daz I Kue). Kaidi’s remix features an alternative saxophone solo and original flute arrangements from Khan, moving from an African jazz rhythm into an incredible crescendo of uplifting House.
“So there you have it…” says Sean. “My new single Azawala, one legend on the original and another legend on remix duties, what more could you want?”
