Jack DeJohnette: Sound Travels

"MR: Jack, you've got a new album, Sound Travels, which comes off like a collection of tone poems, all having different identities. Let's start with 'Salsa for Luisito.' What was the inspiration for that song? JD: Well, I love Afro-bouncing music. I love playing with percussionists, which, in Luisito Quintero's case, is Venezuela. But I love percussion, obviously, being a drummer, but working in collaboration with other drummers. ... We also have Lionel Loueke who is an incredible on rhythm guitar. Also, on the trumpet playing that melody and that great solo on the track is Ambrose Akinmusire. MR: Yes, and Ambrose is also on 'Dirty Ground.' JD: Originally, 'Dirty Ground' got its title from Bruce Hornsby who wrote the lyrics and melody to it. I had written and arranged all the tracks that were recorded, the new tracks, on my synthesizers so that everybody would have an idea how they would go. ... So, I called Bruce, cause we speak to each other, and said, 'Listen, I'm doing this recording and I've got this piece that's in seven, but it's very interesting and it grooves, and it reminds me of Levon Helm from The Band.' ... So with that, he took off, and he came back with these lyrics and the title 'Dirty Ground'" (Mike Ragogna, "A Conversation with Jack DeJohnette," Huffington Post, 2/27/12).

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