Mehdi Nabti & Prototype - Continuum

August 28, 2023

Label: Self released, 2023

Personnel - Mehdi Nabti: alto saxophone, claves, composition; Thomas Morelli-Bernard: trombone; Philippe Bernier: electric guitar, trombone (#3); Nicolas Lafortune: electric bass; Alain Bourgeois: drums; Kullak Viger-Rojas: congas.

Prototype is an inviting progressive project from Paris-born, Montreal-based alto saxophonist Mehdi Nabti, who vouches his serious eclectic jazz pedigree and compositional style. His latest body of work, Continuum, develops in the same contemporary world jazz-funk line as the previous entries but denotes a few novelties worth exploring.

“Astarté” is a precise rock-inflected exercise with strong Northern African type of melody atop. The arrangement is metronomic, with regular bassist Nicolas Lafortune and new drummer Alain Bourgeois ushering us to the changes while buoying the solos in the company of guitarist Philippe Bernier. The latter, who replaced Joy Anandasivam, and the bandleader delivered stately improvisations on this number.

Powerfully polyrhythmic, “Trantor” reinforces the go-getter attitude via the solos from Nabti and trombonist Thomas Morelli-Bernard, whereas the less exuberant “Garamantes” is propelled by ornate guitar pointillistic patterns and the driving congas of Kullak Viger-Rojas. Regardless of the caravan-like pace, this is a tonal piece of epic ambition.

Curling bass lines invade “Laptis Magna”, which, being fluid and harmonically perceptible, evolves with odd-meter and an underlined funky feel. There’s a vamp for the drummer at the end, just like on the following track, “Positron”, which burns in seven with a catchy, optimistic theme that seems inspired by singable R&B and rock harmonic resolutions.

Unanticipated is also the lively closer, “Techno Sapiens”, which emulates the genre mentioned in the title with reiterative energetic riffs. Imagine a Latin rave with propulsive congas while the guitar infuses funk counterpoint in the accompaniment.
Continuum is another bold entry in Nabti’s discography, one that deserves consideration as the music agitates with stoutness.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Astarté ► 02 - Trantor ► 03 - Garamantes

Mehdi Nabti & Prototype - Code Source

December 8, 2021

Label: Self released, 2021

Personnel - Mehdi Nabti: alto saxophone; Joy Anandasivam: electric guitar; Nicolas Lafortune: electric bass; Bertil Schulrabe: drums, tabla; Kullak Viger Rojas: timbales.

There are remarkable musicians who, deeply reverent of their roots and influences, bring them into modern jazz aesthetics with successful outcomes. Examples include Rudresh Mahanthappa, Rez Abbasi, David Virelles, Hafez Modirzadeh and Amir ElSaffar.

The Montreal-based saxophonist Mehdi Nabti also claims a space for himself, whether applying his Afro-Berber continuum or specific patterns associated with geomancy, as it is the case with this new recording, Code Source. He has been using this latter method intermittently for a decade now, fostering it to further development here with the help of his pliant Prototype group.

“Anzar” boasts a punchy funky rhythm and a bass groove in 10 on top of which a melodic figure suggests an Eastern dance form. Also progressing with odd-meter, “Barca” follows a similar recipe but with an infectious groove that feels very particular. Nabti’s phrasal and timbral agility are noticeable as well as the collective staccatos meant to impart a certain rhythmic stimulation.

“Chronos” puts on show a nimble, deliberate funk work on the core, featuring guitarist Joy Anandasivam in a tasteful solo uttered with the right amount of distortion and effects. The nature of this piece contrasts with “Gurzil”, a relaxing exercise that, gradually adding layers of sound, culminates with a melodious pop song feel. Exquisitely introduced by electric bass, the piece sees its well-developed backbone enriched with chordal guitar playing and percussion, after which Nabti rounds it out with expressive melody. Also infused with melody, “Teryel” denotes a different vibe but a similar meter signature when compared to “Mencey”.

The bass-drum foundation of Nicolas Lafortune and Bertil Schulrabe has a sextuple groove moving on “Beneharo”. Noticeable aspects here are: the guitar performing harmonic and rhythmic tasks, the sinuous eloquence and dancing quality of the Orient and sub-Saharan Africa in the saxophone trajectories, and a final vamp for the drummer.

Drawing stimulating ideas from the concept, Nabti and his peers engage in progressive rhythmic schemes that will keep the ears of fusion devotees well-glued to the music.

Favorite Tracks:
02 - Barca ► 04 - Chronos ► 06 - Gurzil

Mehdi Nabti & Prototype - Grooves à Mystères

April 22, 2021

Label: Distrokid, 2021

Personnel - Mehdi Nabti: alto sax, nira, clave; Joy Anandasivam: electric guitar; Nicolas Lafortune: electric bass; Bertil Schulrabe: drums, derbouka, percussion.

The French-born, Canada-based alto saxophonist and composer Mehdi Nabti returns with Grooves à Mystères, a focused effort containing eight flowing groove-imbued selections that bridge diverse musical cultures and illustrate a very personal musical concept he called Afro-Berber continuum, the thread underneath all his projects. Fronting his quartet Prototypes, Nebti takes an extremely functional North Africa-meets-West approach that brims with modal forms and formidable rhythmic complexities.

The tone is set by the opener, “Antée” - aptly assembled with African percussion, a round bass groove with a funky feel, odd tempo, lenient jazz chords, and a beautiful, celestial melody that shapes into a sequence of fragmented lines during the sax improvisation. Articulation is never in question, even when the solos take a more modest role like in the case of guitarist Joy Anandasivam.

Propelled and illuminated by an infectious groove provided by the bassist Nicolas Lafortune and the percussionist Bertil Schulrabe, “Ayyur” feels very Eastern in sound, recalling the sonic cross-genre formulations of the saxophonist Rudresh Mahanthappa, yet with not as much eloquence in the expression. The sumptuously breezy “Eon”, built over a 13-beat cycle, flows with a sub-Saharan incantation, making us breathe the air of different worlds with a spiritual sense of wonder rather than pressure, whereas “Esperanto” overflows with impromptu oratory, stepping ahead forcefully as it enters in a celebratory mode with accurate rhythmic moves and a decided folk comportment. In turn, “Mithra” makes a decent jazz-funk stab, stressing an array of staccato lines in the theme.

Navigating highly structured frameworks, the group achieves a fine balance between the effortlessly charming and the wryly intricate, and if the traditional Macedonian “So Maki Sum Se Rodila” expands its roots by growing world-fusion branches, then the closer, “Timgad”, remains hypnotically static in a 10/8 meter flow while Nabti plays the nira (Moroccan flute) with light-footed ritualistic gestures.

As a mosaic of eclectic influences, the music on this album can be rewardingly illuminating, remembering us that the beauty of jazz also relies on its ability to be open and merge with other styles.

Favorite Tracks:
01 - Antée ► 03 - Eon ► 05 - Mithra