Having the belief that it is as important to look outside Scotland, as to look within, the following album caught this writer’s attention.
“One can imagine a few eyebrows being raised at its mixture of noise, post-rock, punk and jazz, punctuated by SoSaLa’s abstract sax excursions and trademark inciting festival-goers to action!”
Coming across 40-year-old tapes of his Japan-based free jazz/punk/noise trio SADATO GROUP, saxophonist, activist and polyglot Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi (SoSaLa for short and these days New York-based) immediately appreciated their continuing relevance. Happily he decided to release them now, this album which is truly a literal blast from the past, being the result.
Recorded at the Montreux Jazz Festival and Rathausplatz Bern during a tour of Switzerland, the sound may have been an unconventional choice for early 1980s Swiss jazz audiences. One can imagine a few eyebrows being raised at its mixture of noise, avant-rock, punk and jazz, punctuated by SoSaLa’s abstract sax excursions, stylised visual performances and trademark incitement of festival-goers to action!
Aided and abetted by his Japanese colleagues, Mutsuhiko Izumi on electronic guitar and bass and Hitoshi Usami on drums and piano, the trio create a partly improvised storm of sound, an echo of which can be heard in all SoSaLa’s more recent recordings in which his Iranian roots are more evident*.
The album lasts just over one hour and consists of eight tracks. The energy and even anger is palpable throughout. Opening track Confusing World is one of the longer ones at over 10 minutes, and features discordance, crying/ shrieking guitar with Cecil Taylor-channelling piano supporting. About 5 minutes in, drums enter while the guitar increases in tempo and feedback. The beat slows as a heavy 4/4 groove swells, while melody tries to push through. Rapid, simple guitar riffs end this striking and confident first track.
SoSaLa is not heard on this track as reportedly he was amongst the audience, then on stage, interacting in the medium of mime with his band’s playing and with the audience. Dressed in Japanese kendo attire and wearing a Noh mask, SoSaLa reportedly moved slowly and dramatically in Butoh dance style, ultimately making bizarre head movements, attempting to mime the world’s confusion.
Second track, the NO WAVE/ Protest song When I’m Crazy, I’m Normal, introduces SoSaLa’s declamations concerning his sense of his own normality, contrasting with his belief that Japanese people often saw him as somewhat “strange.” Jangly/squeaking support from Izumi’s guitar, segues into the former’s soprano sax.
Let’s Have a Good Time at just under 12 minutes is the longest and perhaps highest energy track, progressing through free jazz, noise then funk. The first more than two minutes sounds like each of the trio having a spell of free playing, ‘warming up’ their instruments and not necessarily engaging closely with each other. Then, following a brief intermission, the guitar feedback ensues, a funereal snare beat emerges together with clapping and invitations to the audience to come on stage. SoSaLa’s very free sax enters over a deep funk backdrop. Melody is scant but energy abounds. The bass guitar repeats a short motif, while sax re-enters, ever more frenzied. Following further clapping the whole resume, louder and faster, ending with a brief but satisfactory drums outro. It comes as no surprise to learn that, some years later, one of SoSaLa’s mentors Ornette Coleman, described SoSaLa as “the freest rock saxophonist”.
Ningen in Africa, Ningen in Nippon – Ningen meaning man or human being – further showcases Izumu’s extended technique on electric guitar, the crashing/ crunching noises wrestling over deliberate, slow backing, plus SoSaLa’s declamations and unusual vocalizations. The delightful guitar voicings continue, enhanced by the drumming and sax, both growing ever more primitive.
Fifth tune, prog rock Sa Si Su Se So opens with some adept sax fills contrasting with strident guitar and drums, after which the band members are introduced to the audience. Most of this piece feels to this listener like the slow winding down of a mechanical toy, the sax pulling a smidgeon out of time from the rest of the trio, some humorous terminal squawks sounding as though the sax is being strangled.
Following this, on free jazz/ prog rock 1-2-3-4, again the sax does its own thing over shimmering guitar and very slow tempo drums in four. Reportedly SoSaLa played several instruments on this track, while also performing stylised body movements dressed, as ever, in his Keiko-gi. This piece is typical of SoSaLa’s performance style: a mixture of music, words of protest and striking often challenging physical performance.
Penultimate track, the very free Paul Klee Musical Colors further showcases Izumi’s bass, with initial tentative, then portentous, then speedy figures over fluttering and adventurous drumming. After five minutes the rhythm calms to lumbering pace after which sax enters and managed chaos, once again, ensues.
Final tune Zehn Vor Vier in Bern (Ten To Four in Bern) has SoSaLa frequently speaking in German, though sadly the only part understood by this writer is the phrase “the majority doesn’t speak the truth.” Announcing his name almost ferociously at the start, SoSaLa then sends his sax on wild excursions, with rapid flutters and blurts. The rhythm section meanwhile roves restlessly behind. At four minutes the guitar steps up to lead, together with Usami on cymbal flurries, whereupon SoSaLa’s harmonica triggers the guitar to loosen up. A Bern church bell, with perfect timing, tolls as the performance ends.
This album of free jazz/ noise/ NO WAVE rock has a heavy, punky sound that seems to express the energy and anger of especially the young in 1983 and is still felt today. One wonders if such music will ever stop feeling relevant.
Line-up:
Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi (SoSaLa) – soprano and tenor saxophones, Rhodes and harmonica
Mutsuhiko Izumi – electronic guitar and electric bass
Hitoshi Usami – drums and piano
CD & Digital release was in July 2025 on DooBeeDoo Records
*Buy SoSaLa albums: here
SoSaLa Website: here
All About Jazz article: here