I Insist [CD]

‘I Insist’ is the debut album from Brooklyn-based saxophonist and composer Kazemde George. The title is a shout-out to Max Roach’s landmark 1960 protest album ‘We Insist! Freedom Now Suite,’ a statement of George’s own determined disposition as a Black American, and an acknowledgement of our turbulent times. Leading a quintet of stellar New York players - vocalist Sami Stevens, keyboardist Isaac Wilson, bassist Tyrone Allen II, and drummer Adam Arruda - the record is a vibrant collection of ten original compositions inspired by George’s interest in music of the African diaspora. “Understanding” features a Cuban changüí-inspired groove. “Haiti” originates from one of George’s own looped electronic beats. Stevens contributes lyrics to the laid-back “Skylight” and the somewhat sorrowful “Happy Birthday,” as well as wordless vocals to three others. The music is unapologetically swinging and fully engaged, whether simmering on a low flame or reaching climactic heights of intensity.