The latest CD from multi award winning group Asani was recorded very recently in Edmonton Canada at the Homestead Recorders under the watchful eyes and ears of legendary Canadian musical icon , and mega multi awarding winning Barry Allen.

The CD entitle "Listen" was produced by Asani & Ed Mann.

 

Myself and Ed played percussion and drum set on all tracks. It was an amazing experience to be invited to and was capped off by be made an honoree Meti along with ED and David Buchanan who filmed the whole making of the DVD .

 

 

I was also interviewed for a radio program and an inter nett broadcast, will let you know when its to be aired.

 

Below is an article that appeared in the Edmonton Journal on the week we were recording.

Assn and friends weave tapestry of incredible sounds

Peter North, Freelance

Published: Friday, January 25

As much as artists, engineers and producers would love to automatically dial up the tone for a recording session, the personalities involved largely dictate the emotional aura that hangs in a studio.

Tension is not necessarily negative when it comes to the creative process, but there was no evidence of anything but co-operation and mutual artistic admiration this week at Homestead Recorders, where a tapestry of incredible sounds is being captured.

The west-end studio, a part of this community's scene for almost 30 years, is where proprietor and engineer Barry Allen is playing host to the critically acclaimed aboriginal vocal trio Asani, and renowned percussionists Ed Mann and Bruce Aitken.

While working on a followup disc to their 2005 debut recording Rattle and Drum -- nominated for 11 music awards across North America -- Asani's Sarah Pocklington, Debbie Houle and Sherryl Sewepagaham met the two percussionists last spring in Cape Breton.

"Bruce is one of the organizers of the Cape Breton International Drum Festival and he invited us to perform there. Ed was performing as well, and we all talked at length about the music and politics," Pocklington says. "At some point, Ed threw out the idea of us working together."

Mann's resume is bound around 11 years of working closely with Frank Zappa in the studio and on the road. His credits with the legendary late guitarist and composer include Joe's Garage, Sheik Yerbouti, The Man From Utopia and the Zappa and The London Symphony Orchestra sessions. Along with releasing five solo discs, Mann's mallet work on vibes and marimba, and a variety of percussive instruments, has given him opportunities to work on the road or in the studio with Andy Summers, Rickie Lee Jones, Los Lobos, Bill Bruford and Kenny Loggins.

"Ed has an indigenous heart," says Pocklington. "He is basically about people, is anti-oppression and believes everyone has a voice that should be heard."

Asani had been road-testing some of the material prior to the sessions and pieces evolved significantly, said Sewepagaham.

"There's such a blend of influences in some of the things we're doing. One piece is sung in Cree, has a reggae feel and includes some throat singing. Northern Lights is a song that sounds angelic and Ed added a track where he was bowing his vibes. Lyrically, there are political and ecological elements references."

Asani hopes to release the album in the fall. They, Mann and Aitken expect to tour as far abroad as Australia