Ibeji

Difficult second album syndrome? Not for Xhosa Cole, the multi-award-winning Birmingham-based saxophonist whose bold artistic vision was given wings on his 2021 debut K(no)w Them, K(no)w Us and... — Jazzwise, February 2023, 4 out of 5 stars More…

Release Date: 24th Mar 2023
Catalogue No: SLR1978LP
Label: Stoney Lane Records

Jazzwise

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February 2023

Ibeji

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Xhosa Cole, the acclaimed 26 year-old award-winning saxophonist, is to release his second album on Stoney Lane Records this November Ibeji, a collaborative project of duos featuring seven eminent percussionists of African descent.

Following his celebrated debut K(no)w Them, K(no)w Us in 2021, Coles new project features a series of disparate saxophone and percussion duets, set alongside exerts of conversations and interviews between Cole and his seven collaborators woven into the narrative of the album.

Ibeji takes its name from the Yoruba orisha (West African spirits) for twins, exploring the themes of duality, double consciousness, codes, clave, masks, brotherhood, ancestors, rituals, racism, identity, and the diverse expressions of African traditions and music throughout the diaspora.

Recorded in his home city of Birmingham, the album brings Xhosa together with percussionists Adriano Adewale, Lekan Babalola, Jason Brown, Corey Mwamba, Mark Sanders, Ian Parmel, and his brother, Azizi Cole, with artwork by legendary photographer Vanley Burke.

Reviews

February 2023

Difficult second album syndrome? Not for Xhosa Cole, the multi-award-winning Birmingham-based saxophonist whose bold artistic vision was given wings on his 2021 debut K(no)w Them, K(no)w Us and soar to even greater heights here.

Ibeji

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Ibeji

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