In a digital
diaspora there are no borders. Playing
with sound of the diaspora, Holy Forest blends the ingredients of an evermore
connected world into its debut album.
Imagined as a series of songs from the holy forest, a place where we
once travelled, where we once fell in love, where we are no longer… but where
we long to return. Recorded in The Gambia, NYC, Woodstock and San Francisco,
“Holy Forest” is a body of work spanning a number of years, produced and
arranged by musician and documentary filmmaker Jon Fine (Herbie Hancock’s
“Possibilities”/ Bill Wither’s “Still Bill”).
Producer,
instrumentalist and songwriter, Jon Fine enlisted friends and collaborators to
play on the genre blending project including Ed “Preachermann” Holley, Gambian
griot Tata Din Din Jobarteh (aka the Jimi Hendrix of the Kora), members of
Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra, singer’s Morley Kamen, Seraphim, Sparlha Swa, and
Grammy nominated Kora master Youssoupha Sidibe.
Born to a
microbiologist and a stone carver, musician and filmmaker Jon Fine grew up in a
small town in NJ at the foot of the George Washington bridge. Between counting
bacteria in Petri dishes in his father’s lab and playing with clay in his
mother’s studio he developed an interest in the making of things. He earned his stripes in the late 90’s as one
of Antibalas’ original guitarists and a session musician for a number of indie
bands. He studied film, taught in
elementary schools and started a film production company making videos for
Herbie Hancock, Lionel Loueke, Kaki King, Soulive and Antibalas. He produced,
shot and edited the Bill Wither’s documentary “Still Bill”, directed “Herbie
Hancock: Possibilities” and co-wrote and
produced “The Afterparty” featuring Andre 3000.
After years of interviewing legends of music, and a hiatus from playing,
“Holy Forest” has brought him back to his roots.
The
recording sessions, spanning a number of years were inspired by his trip to the
Gambia’s Makasutu forest, a lush-green riverine wilderness of mangrove swamps.
While in Gambia, Fine connected with Tata Din Din and the seeds for the project
were planted. Drawing on the beautiful melodies of the Kora, reggae rhythms,
folk and blues, “Holy Forest” is 21rst century cross-continental roots music.
The first
single and music video from the album is “Africa Calling.” The soulful song
about long distance love blends the mellifluous sounds of griot Tata Din Din
Jobarteh’s kora (a 21 string lute), Ed “Preachermann” Holley’s wailing vocals
and the members of the Antibalas horns featuring Stuart Bogie on
saxophone. Okayafrica said, “Holy Forest
LP, pairs the virtuosic sounds of Gambian griot Tata Din Din Jobarteh (aka the
Jimi Hendrix of the kora) with the robust vocals of Harlem-based singer Ed
“Preachermann” Holley and horns from members of Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra on
a song inspired by a trip to the Makasutu forest.
The
recordings inspired Fine to bring together a live band featuring Ed “Preachermann”
Holley and griot Salieu Suso. They’ll
be performing for the album release party on Oct 23rd at The Shrine in Harlem
and at the monthly party “Africanoir” at Cmoneverybody in Brooklyn on Oct 25th.
Upcoming
Shows:
10/23 @
Shrine – Harlem New York, NY
10/25 @
“Africanoir” Cmoneverybody – Brooklyn, NY
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