I’m not sure why the Facebook algorithm decided to serve up a post from SoSaLa the other day. I don’t follow the artist (and had never heard of him before) nor the label (ditto), and I don’t have any particular interest in free jazz (trifecta). But some combination of ones and zeros decided I might be interested in Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival and the Rathausplatz Bern, and it turns out the algorithm was correct. It caught just enough of my attention to warrant a Google search, and seeing the sound described as a combination of free jazz and noise I was intrigued. And I was even more intrigued when I saw the artist was offering up copies of the CD for $5. Not $5 plus shipping, mind you. Five dollars. Shipped. To my house. So of course I bought a copy.
The CD arrived along with eight pages of info about the artist and recordings. SoSaLa is Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi. Born to Iranian parents living in Switzerland, he grew up in Germany and moved to Japan when he was 22, taking on the name Sohi Sadato. There he furthered his martial arts study as well as his musical expression, eventually founding Sadato Group, the band that performed at these two festivals.
The disc opens with experimental wanderings before landing in the pocket and turning into a legitimate rock song complete with a driving riff and solo flourishes. SoSaLa’s arrival on the stage introduces his sax, injecting a healthy dose of chaos into the steadiness of the band, an emotional dissonance that speaks of a man trying to find his way in a chaotic world, perhaps on some level that of a man living in an unfamiliar and foreign culture where he does not “fit in”. As we progress through the album we’re treated to elements of rock, psych, tribal drumming, jazz, beat poetry… there’s almost a tiny bit of no wave here, and I like it.
You can purchase the Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival and the Rathausplatz Bern CD from the label HERE (CD is the only physical format).