John Densmore's Tribaljazz

"I play the drums," says John Densmore, with tangible pride. He may be belaboring the obvious, considering that, as the rhythmic engine of The Doors, he's responsible for some of the most famous beats in rock history. But Densmore still bristles at what he calls the "dumb drummer" stereotype. "The drum was the first fucking instrument," he declares. "The reason people move and dance is that they're trying to get back to that heartbeat.” During the musically prolific years between their debut album in 1967 and Morrison's death in 1971, The Doors became one of the most influential bands in rock history. The band's dark, sonically diverse sensibility and Morrison's invention of the "rock shaman" archetype set them far apart from their peers.
Reflecting on his musical contribution to the band, Densmore seizes on an attribute he's long admired in his favorite jazz players. "I found myself wanting to really comment on what was going on musically, especially with Jim--and Ray and Robby, on their solos," he points out. "Just to push them or lay back or whatever was happening in the moment, to encourage that moment.
His lifelong adoration of jazz and his insatiable hunger for global sounds prompted the birth of his new band, Tribaljazz. The project began when Densmore played a benefit for his son's school; sharing the stage with saxophonist and fellow involved parent Art Ellis, he began to see the outlines of something unique.
"We got the idea to combine the jazz genre with African percussion," Densmore explains. "You've got the John Coltrane or Miles Davis-style bands, and then you add tribal drums. It's not tribal-ethnic and it's not pure jazz; it's a synthesis of the two. That's what I'm interested in. You can make people dance, but on top of that is improvisation in the jazz genre." In the end, what you hear is, truly, Tribaljazz. Those musicians included pianist Quinn Johnson, Egyptian bassist Osama Affifi, Guatemalan conga player Miguel Rivera, Italian-born, Brazil-trained percussionist Christina Berio and African drummers Marcel Adjibi and Azziz Faye.