24 March 2009
Manchester Evening NewsAl Brownlee
Heavy on atmosphere, Under Ubi's Tree conjures African Rainforests and desert tundra. It draws heavily on the music of the Aka pygmies from Central Africa, and then adds other exotica: a calabash, a dulcimer, even a musical saw. The surprising textures include a floating flute at one end, and bass at the other (Thomson plays both), but the presence of cellist Jenny Adejayan (Thomson's colleague in the Antonio Forcione Band) tips the balance in favour of grounded, earthy warmth. Ubi's Tree is world music in the most positive sense. If it must be categorized, file under ‘Beautiful'.