Anaya:  Indigo Trio

Nicole Mitchell flutes, Harrison Bankhead bass, Hamid Drake drums

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"Anaya opens with a stomping Mitchell tune, "Sho Yo Right," which brings to mind Rahsaan Roland Kirk with its strong flute line. Like Kirk, Mitchell can seriously blow the flute, going well beyond just using it for a bit of color. But unlike Kirk (and so many other multi-instrumentalists), for Mitchell it's the sole axe (or axe family at least: she's heard on alto flute and piccolo as well here). She has the chops to hit hard on the usually breathy instrument.

The next three tunes establish the trio as equals, with a lovely Bankhead ballad ("A Child's Curiosity") leading into an extended bass solo that opens Drake's upbeat "Anaya with the Sunlight" and then the only jointly credited cut on the disc, the meditative "Song for Ma'at (Ma-ah-t)."

The second half of the disc more or less follows the same egalitarian distribution, with a nice variety of always-tuneful cuts and ending with another unaccompanied Bankhead solo. The group has gelled considerably sinceMontreal and it's worth noting that the recording quality is considerably better this time around as well. And realizing their promise just means more promises for the future."--Kurt Gottschalk, Squid's Ear

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Track list
1. Sho Ya Right (8:10)
2. A Child's Curiosity (13:10)
3. Anaya with the Sunlight (13:58)
4. Song for Ma'at (Ma-ah-t) (8:48)
5. Beloved's Reflection (5:38)
6. Wheatgrass (7:19)
7. Anaya with the Moon (8:34)
8. Affirmation of the One (2:25)