To hear and purchase this album, please visit the Mahakala Music label page at:
mahakalamusic.bandcamp.com/album/mellifluous-excursions-vol-1-where-you-been
“A solid album of buoyant collective improvisation led by NY drummer Chad Anderson, with vibraphonist Warren Smith adding an optimistic voice to the quintet of relative newcomer, sax and flute player Zoh Amba and bassist Barry Stephenson, the sophisticated and generally upbeat sound of the group taking a stinging tone on two tracks with the sharp observations from The Ankhitek.” -
Squidco.com
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Drummer, Chad "WC" Anderson’s latest release, Mellifluous Excursions: Where You At Vol.1, transports the listener through a dynamic set of improvised compositions that weave together aural stories, soundscapes, and spoken word. The music presented on this release celebrates the high-energy, democratic spirit of improvised music, speaks to cultural and political awareness, and showcases a collective, multi-generational unity in sound. Chad Anderson is joined by world-renowned legendary percussionist, Warren Smith (NYC) on vibes, Barry Stephenson (NYC) on bass, Zoh Amba (NYC) on saxophone and flute, and Ankhitek (Washington D.C.) contributing spoken word. From soaring screams, to street swing, with corner-turning funky groove injections, the music on Mellifluous Excursions morphs and blends in the way multiple conversations might be simultaneously overheard at a family reunion. The tracks featuring the spoken word of Ankhitek fluctuate between knowledge points highlighting ancestral roots to cultural and political issues.
Anderson’s work can be heard within the Mahakala Music catalog on Lacrimosa (MAHA-05) with Chad Fowler, and on Ivo Perelman’s recent release, Magic Dust (MAHA-024), as well as a self-released solo recording from 2020, entitled Wait and See, and his debut release, People Here from 2001. Anderson has also performed and/or recorded with the late Henry P. Warner, Andy McCloud, Cooper-Moore, Douglas Ewart, William Parker, Kidd Jordan, Christopher Parker, Kelley Hurt, Luke Stewart, and many others within the orbit of improvisational music.