Spirits

Born in Nigeria, raised in London, and now living in Brooklyn, saxophonist Zem Audu possesses a deep well of influences to draw from for his debut recording. Inviting you to feel the atmosphere of the city streets, the blazing sunshine of the Caribbean, and the soulfulness of Nigerian culture, the visceral impact of his experiences with a wide-range of musical greatness - Jason Moran, Mike Stern, Hugh Masekela, and his international tours with the legendary Skatalites - is wildly evident on Spirits. Recorded at Avatar Studios in New York with guitarist Mike Stern, pianist Benito Gonzales, Ben Williams on bass and John Davis on drums, Audu's eleven original compositions crackle with ingenuity, spirit, and groove as they celebrate the life experiences that inspired them. "Zem Audu showed off a terse, purposeful sensibility, a smokily nuanced tone and compositional fluency, ranging from Monty Alexander-style Jamdown jazz, to colorful postbop, funk and more." - New York Music Daily