African Flowers

...a colorful tableau filtered through personal experience and infused by an understanding of the history of the continent. - JAZZ CHICAGO With a 2008 month-long tour of Africa as inspiration, Chicago saxophonist Geof Bradfield composed a rhythmically rich, harmonically challenging suite, drawing on his experiences in Rwanda, Congo, Uganda, & Zimbabwe. Incorporating elements of jazz, Bradfield connects the sounds of Africa with those of the African Diaspora in North America, creating a stunning musical travelogue. Before writing, he assembled a group of like-minded, dynamic Chicago musicians to compose for?pianist Ryan Cohan, guitarist Jeff Parker, trumpeter-percussionist Victor Garcia, bassist Clark Sommers, and drummer George Fludas?helping to forge a powerful group aesthetic for the recording.