Buddy Sativa – Mystic Voyage review

Artist: Buddy Sativa
Title: Mystic Voyage
Label: Favorite
Genre: Broken Beat/Nu Jazz
Format: 7″, Digital
Buy From: Juno Records, Juno Download

Buddy Sativa is another of the French soul jazz artists causing a stir at the moment. On Mystic Voyage he drops two tracks that merge keys, brass sections, bass and percussion in that classic Parisian way. A talented musician, Sativa knows how to compose music in various different styles and is therefore able to communicate his vision of music across a number of platforms.

His first instrument of composition was always keys, then came the machines and samples, allowing him to build the tracks around his key parts. The title track is a cover of Roy Ayers, reworked with Savita’s own approach. For him, Ayers’ music was essential to the development of his own and was therefore an obvious choice for someone to cover. After a hazy intro, Sativa sets off into his improvisational swing jazz style. A big band with bright brass joins a heavy rhythm section in a full on jazz tribute to the original.

Sativa’s interest in and knowledge of rhythm, particularly through West African drums, becomes more apparent on “Una Peripecia” though. Although it is actually Onra on drumming duty within the track, we hear all the elements of percussion that Sativa holds dearly. His workout on the keys joins Onra’s drums and deep bass, creating a latin jazz feel that resides throughout. This is imaginative and improvisational jazz with a contemporary feel. As French imprint Favourite Recordings continue to press music of this sentiment to such high standards, the world is becoming more and more familiar with the likes of Buddy Sativa.

Review: Tom Jones