RONALD SNIJDERS - Natural Sources - LP

Some albums show you right away what kind of spirit backs them. Ronald Snijders solo debut from 1977, „Natural sources“, is one of these. It begins with a free improvised, sometimes scatting flute and while the flute goes more and more crazy some scat vocals join in to make this first track a kinda strange affair. Jazz, free and spirited, seems the way but Ronald Snijders, son of Surinamese composer Eddy Snijders, outwits us in all our tiny minded expectations with the next song already. An evergrooving base of polyrhythmical grooves from several percussion instruments builds the ground from which captivating flute patterns arise. The foundation is a repetitive latin beat influenced by Brazilian dance music but the free jazz flute eruptions on top make it a wicked listening experience, even though this is just the middle section of the song and the beginning and ending themes show a rather lighthearted jazz sound with latin grooves. So here we go. Ronald Snijders explores the depths of his musical heritage, the latin and the jazz and really pulls it off here. The next tune even drifts into a kind of exotica direction with a rather picturesque approach that drags images of indigenous dances in a jungle surrounding to the listener’s mind but then Snijders falls back on free jazz with reduced arrangement and his fondness for avant garde sounds wins over.