Horses & Trees [White Vinyl]

by Ginger Baker

Overview

Bill Laswell's musical career has been a highly collaborative one. Almost every new release from solo excursions to a variety of mercurial group projects finds him engaged with a notable instrumentalist from the arenas of jazz, electronica, funk, hip-hop, reggae, and world music. It's not that he seems dominating as a musician per se, but the results do typically bare the producer's singular aural stamp. Horses & Trees is no exception. Persuaded by Laswell to continue working throughout the second half of 1980s, drummer Ginger Baker produced some of his most stimulating collections, not least of which were the Laswell produced Middle Passage and this 1986 set. The drummer is rock-solid throughout, which means that most of the compositions become a showcase for an impressive lineup of guest musicians that reads like a list of the Bill Laswell all-stars. Even when pared down to an all-rhythm trio on "Mountain Time," Baker, though undeniably effective, remains the big beat behind Daniel Ponce and Aiyb Dieng's percussion display. That does little to change the fact that this is one of the most enjoyable albums Baker (or Laswell) has been involved in. "Uncut" finds the likes of Bernie Worrell, Shankar and Laswell in fine form, taking solos like a jazz combo. "Dust to Dust" is the only piece composed solely by Baker (he shares credits everywhere else) and is the most stunning of the set with a repeated section that sounds like an alien hoe-down with world music undertones. Laswell alumni and hip-hop pioneer Grandmixer D.ST (of "Rock It" fame) returns, delivering slashes from his turntable that provide the sort of genre-bending texture Laswell is so fond of. Baker, while never caught stealing the show on any track, looms large. On Horses & Trees, his big beat pulls the greatest weight. ~ Nathan Bush

Product Details

Release Date:	01/12/2024
Label:	Celluloid / Charly Records
UPC:	5060767444481
Rank:	42652

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Ginger Baker   Primary Artist,Drums
Bernie Worrell   Guest Artist,Organ
Daniel Ponce   Guest Artist,Bata,Bells
Bill Laswell   Guest Artist,6-String Bass,Slide Bass,Bass
Foday Musa Suso   Guest Artist,Kalimba,Nyanyery,Doussn'gouni,Kora
Aiyb Dieng   Guest Artist,Bells,Chatan,Percussion,Talking Drum
Nana Vasconcelos   Guest Artist,Cuica,Shaker,Vocals,Berimbau
Robert Musso   Organ
Nicky Skopelitis   Guitar (12 String)
Artie Smith   Drums
Shankar   Violin
Grandmixer D.ST   Turntables

Technical Credits

Foday Musa Suso   Composer
Rob Stevens   Engineer
Robert Musso   Engineer
Nicky Skopelitis   Composer
Daniel Ponce   Composer
Jason Corsaro   Mixing,Engineer
Howie Weinberg   Mastering
Bill Laswell   Producer,Composer
Ginger Baker   Composer
Shinro Ohtake   Cover Painting
Aiyb Dieng   Composer
Roger Trilling   Administration
Pete Sturge   Assistant Engineer