Phillip Kakaza CD of the week
The title of Tony Cox’s latest CD, Looking for Zim (Sheer Sound) could be confusing to many jazz enthusiasts, more especially when we know that he’s fond of collaborating with various musos in studio projects.
So, make no mistake, Looking for Zim is not about Cox’s search for jazz muso Zim Nqawana but it’s about him going back to his roots – to his hometown of Redcliff in Zimbabwe. Born in the area, he left there at 16 to pursue his career in music and returned only last year.
His visit was a search for places that were in his imagination as a child, but everything seemed to have changed and looked different. For him, being there was like being on a pilgrimage, searching for his childhood visions. This is how the title came about.
Through this new CD, Cox crosses cultural boundaries to work with musicians from all walks of life, including vocalists Wendy Oldfield and Malawian Wambali Mkandawire, who render smooth harmonies.
As with the previous album, Cool Friction, Cox’s outfit consists of Barry van Zyl (drums), Paul Hanmer (piano) and Chris Tokolan (sax/flute), and they revisit the resonance of jazz and African styles. Also featured on the album is Bruce Cassidy (trumpet), John Davies (trombone) and Kenny Mabata (harmonica). In the title track, Cox demonstrates an impressive mastery of “finger style” where he weaves a tapestry of numerous textures across a single chord. He is a multi-styled guitarist whose guitar depth, derivied from deep classical sounds to clarified African and jazzy rhythms, leaves you mesmerised.