Tangria Jazz Group - Tangria Jazz Group (2008)Self-released

This American group was founded in the year 1997. Its lifeblood and leader is Sheryl Mebane (drums, jembe) who is not only a musician, but also an activist absorbed in environmental chemistry education (doctorate in physical chemistry). Her colleagues have as well much to do with a science. Simon Rochester (piano, gankogui) is a physics researcher at the University of California in Berkeley, and Justin Hellman (bass) has a Bachelor's degree in music at the same university.

The third self-titled album was preceded by two other stuffs - "Songs from Lady Bird" (2003) and "Mebane's Eleven Tunes for Two" (2006). "Tangria Jazz Group" includes only two Sheryl's original tracks - "Teach Yourself to Live Elsewhere" and "Bamako Love Walk". The rest are covers of the likes of Eden Ahbez/David J. Janowiak, John Carisi, John Coltrane, Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter. Most of them are silent, calm, quiet and reflective. They can produce a romantic mood assembled from gentle tones. The trio look for challanges both in science and music, and also maintain a resonable balance between these two worlds. They are able to bring the music closer to the nature and science. Just take a glance at a physics-titled "Isotope" and nature-labelled "Black Nile" to be convinced of it. The booklet includes a sentence: "The tunes on the CD capture some unique arrangements and the connections Tangria makes between world jazz, straight-ahead jazz and jazz fusion". Yes, there are many influences from Latin, African, traditional jazz, funk and even blues music, however it is uncomplete description. It is simply a scientifical jazz music, haha! Hope you catch my drift!