Sly & Robbie and Nils Petter Molvaer at Blue Note Tokyo, September 19th 2018

Dub and the ECM sound are a perfect match. Dub’s austere but resounding presence of a steady drum and bass backbone, along with dashes of echo and reverb is not unlike the ECM style jazz. They both strive for the same ethereal otherworldly atmosphere. It makes sense for three of the most distinctive artists of these genres to collaborate. As much as they are perfect examples for each, they are creative individuals that define the preconceived notions of dub and the ECM sound.

Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare, Sly & Robbie, not only were present during reggae’s transition from roots to dancehall, they were among the architects. In their productions they added layers of synthesizers on top of Simmons drums, shaping the sound of reggae to come as heard in Black Uhuru, Gregory Isaacs and Ini Kamoze. Their influence and radical reshaping of Jamaican music turned into collaborations with artists in other genres as well. Serge Gainsbourg, Grace Jones and Bob Dylan, among others.

Even though he doesn’t record for ECM anymore, Nils Petter Molvaer is best known for the two albums he did for that label at the beginning of his solo career. In these two albums Molvaer’s trumpet playing is reminiscent of Miles Davis’ electric years. In a Silent Way’s atmosphere is definitely a precursor of the ECM sound. But as Miles was going after the funk crowd when he recorded On the Corner, both Malvaer’s Khmer and Solid Ether are heavily influenced by the electronic dance music of their era. Those types of beats within the ethereal backdrop of Manfred Eicher’s production, resulted in unique offerings in the ECM catalogue.

Nordub is the name of the album in which these artists finally collaborated, bringing these two worlds together with the help of Elvind Aarset on guitar and Vladislav Delay on electronics and percussion. All of them were present at the shows in Blue Note Tokyo.

This was the first time I’ve seen an opening act there. Cojie, Mighty Crown’s selector, played some Sly & Robbie productions while the crowd was setting into their seats. Right on time the band walked in from the back of the venue to the stage, as it is the tradition at Blue Note. After a brief shoutout to the DJ, the show started.

Like the record, the show opened with “If I Gave You My Love” setting up the vibe for the rest of the show. The steady and yet angular rhythm section, garnished with that distinctive Dunbar’s double tap on the rim, was an asset as expected. Molvaer’s sparse and yet powerful soloing, with the occasional use of the trumpet’s mic for vocal effects, were key in the design of the show’s mood. The secret weapon was Aarset's guitar playing. Every time he laid down one of his unique sounding solos, he took things to a whole other level of intensity. Delay kept things grounded elegantly within the dub language, without incurring in excesses. Shakespeare took vocal duties in a way that only a reggae scholar would. His voice was the perfect match to this bands’s sound, first with “How Long” and later towards the end, when things got cooking.

Unlike its recorded version, “Was In The Blues” started with Shakespeare singing the verses at a slow pace, almost a cappella. A subtle bass line and the Nyabinghi drumming bongo playing by Dunbar, were behind the mentioning of I and I in the lyrics, every element adding to a mystical environment. This intro was followed by a faster pace rendition of the tune, including blistering solos from both Molvaer and Aarset.

Mystic heights were reached with the version of The Abyssinians’ Satta Massagana that closed the set. Worth the price of admission is a cliche, but it definitely applies in this case. The combination of Shakespeare’s voice, the propulsive steady backbeat and the ethereal atmosphere created by this band, was the prove that a Rastafarian anthem could be turned into an exemplary ECM jazz sounding tune and vice versa.

The band returned for an encore rounding up the 70 minutes of this short set with another cover, this time of Dawn Penn’s “No, No, No”. Speaking of cliches, defying them seems to be the role of this band. To those who think that airiness and beauty are opposed to rhythm and funk, this band is a reminder that you’re wrong. It was an excellent -but brief- show.

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