Drummer Daniel Freedman follows up his acclaimed 2012 album, Bamako by Bus, with Imagine That (Anzic Records), a vibrant collection of tunes that draws on musical modes from around the world. Freedman, 41, has played the Dakota Jazz Club as part of the Anat Cohen Quartet. The always inventive Jason Lindner, here on keyboards, is also a regular in that group. And adding to the funky, ferocious swing on these tunes is Israeli bassist Omer Avital, Brazilian percussionist Gilmar Gomes, and guitarist Lionel Loueke, from Benin. Another musical star from Benin, Angélique Kidjo, with whom Freedman has toured, sings on “Baby Aya,” which Freedman wrote for his daughter. Imagine That further burnishes Freedman’s reputation as a composer and bandleader. — M.S.
(American Jewish World, 3.25.16)
