The cover of Norman Hedman’s new CD, Garden of
Forbidden Fruit, features a bold, colorful illustration of a woman
in a lush tropical setting, but there’s an unexpected city skyline in
the background, signaling the meeting of an island paradise and an urban
jungle. This captures a little bit of what’s inside.
The CD proves that
percussionist and composer Hedman is as comfortable performing breezy
island-inspired tunes and Latin grooves as he is with jazz and rhythm
and blues. For other artists, this diversity would be schizophrenic, but
it works for Hedman, whose precise playing and creative rhythms thread
through each song, tying the pieces together. It also helps that Hedman
is joined by his longtime band, Tropique. The familiarity allows the
musicians to interject strong solos into the music and then fall right
back into working as an ensemble.
Hedman, who has worked with
Alicia Keyes and Roy Hargrove, has writing credits on 10 of the 12 songs.
Four of the tunes feature vocals by four different singers – Ada Dyer,
James D-Train Williams, Dani Stevenson, and Kendra Shank. Williams does
an especially good job on the R&B tune “Angel Of The Night.” His silky
vocals dominate the song, but Hedman’s congas and percussions are right
there throughout the number, giving it wings. Alexei Tsiganov’s vibes
add a splash of freshness to the song.
The CD features a variety of
material, ranging from the funky opener “Rundadar Dance” to the
island-inspired closer “Island Spice.” There’s a lot to like about
Tropique and Garden of Forbidden Fruit.
.jpg)
