Ebo Taylor’s Iconic Contribution to the ‘Jazz Is Lifeless’ Album

Ghanaian artist Ebo Taylor, the star of the twenty second installment in Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad’s Jazz Is Lifeless sequence, approaches his ninetieth birthday with dignity and pleasure. For the reason that Fifties, Taylor has been a key determine in highlife music and an early collaborator within the Afrobeat motion, securing an inventive legacy that few can rival. The album, Ebo Taylor JID022, recorded when he was 88, isn’t a mere homage or a replay of his historic achievements. Quite, it celebrates Taylor’s vibrant profession, showcasing a passionate ensemble that acknowledges and elevates his contributions over the previous six many years whereas inspiring him to create as soon as once more.

In 2025, Ebo Taylor couldn’t have wished for a greater manufacturing crew than Adrian Younge and Ali Shaheed Muhammad. Their deep appreciation for analog manufacturing methods mixed with an uncompromising pursuit of excellence establishes a pristine sonic panorama that enhances the various array of visitors featured within the Jazz Is Lifeless live performance and album sequence.

The musical basis of JID022 is each wealthy and alluring. Instrumentation together with horns, guitars, keyboards, and complex layers of rhythm immediately conjure the vigorous sounds of Nineteen Seventies West African music, interspersed with components of Sixties highlife and hints of psychedelic jazz. This eloquent fusion is anchored by a shiny refrain of background vocalists, who eagerly reply to Taylor’s name and contribute to the joyful environment.

With each observe, Ebo Taylor emerges into this funk-infused musical paradise. His well-weathered voice now carries the load of expertise, resonating via every line with a wealthy timbre honed by age. With a contact of reverb, he seamlessly leads the colourful retro grooves that outline every music. His messages oscillate between themes of pleasure and social justice, infused with unwavering enthusiasm that radiates contagious vitality. On the album’s opening observe “Get Up,” backing vocalists urge, “Rise up and do your factor,” and Taylor responds with fervor. His tremulous voice soars effortlessly over the lyrical panorama, whereas trumpet, saxophone, and flute interact in a vigorous, improvisational dance, accompanied by rhythmic pulses from guitars and keyboards.

Because the album progresses, Taylor’s voice takes middle stage much more. He skillfully sustains invigorating notes on the vigorous piece “Obra Akyedzi,” whereas within the simmering observe “Kusi Na Sibo,” he adopts a extra grounded method, crammed with a sure grit. The dramatic horn cascades that open “Obi Do Woa (If Somebody Loves You)” carry a sweetness that enhances the heat of Taylor’s verses.

The observe “Nsa A W’oanye Edwuma, Ondzidzi” incorporates a mesmerizing layer of vocal harmonies that transforms an in any other case understated music right into a dreamy expertise. Of all of the tracks, the lighthearted “Beye Bu, Beye Ba” emerges as essentially the most charming, reflecting the standard highlife that marked the start of Taylor’s profession.

The concluding observe, “Feeling,” presents a young and uplifting finale for JID022. Taylor’s repeated chorus, “Simply go searching you / And inform me what you see,” resonates deeply as he stretches the boundaries of his vocal vary. Delicate keys, shimmering percussion, and delicate wind devices create a soothing backdrop, enhancing the intimacy of his request. Ebo Taylor has seen, heard, and carried out an enormous array of music all through his life. As this chapter of the Jazz Is Lifeless sequence involves a detailed, it’s a privilege to expertise his artistry in an setting the place he really shines.