Another Kind of Groove

Another Kind of Groove
Studio album by Kahil El'Zabar
Released	1987
Recorded	1986
Genre	Jazz
Label	Sound Aspects
Kahil El'Zabar chronology
Sacred Love (1986) Another Kind of Groove (1987) Ancestral Song (1988)

Another Kind of Groove is an album by the American musician Kahil El'Zabar, released in 1987. ^{[1] [2]} It is credited to Kahil El'Zabar's The Ritual. ^[3]

Production

The album was recorded in May 1986. ^[4] El'Zabar was backed by Malachi Favors on bass and Billy Bang on violin. ^[5]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[6]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[7]
The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD	[8]

The Washington Post said that "the most imaginative and compelling tunes are found on the flip side, where El' Zabar and Favors exploit a vast array of percussion instruments and Bang plays with a rhythmic intensity to match his astringent tone." ^[9] The Ann Arbor News opined that Another Kind of Groove was one of the best jazz albums of 1987. ^[10] The Boston Globe also considered it to be one of the best jazz albums of 1987; the paper subsequently listed it as one of the 10 best jazz albums of the 1980s. ^{[11] [12]}

In 1995, the Chicago Tribune praised "the mesmerizing backbeats and spirit of incantation that permeate" the title track. ^[13] The Houston Chronicle stated, "El'Zabar's drumming combines the wide-open approach of free jazz with the insistent groove of African-American folk forms." ^[14] The Rough Guide to Jazz said that "Bang's playing is at its funkiest and most exhilarating". ^[15]

Track listing

Side 1

1. "The Opening"
2. "Ocean Deep"
3. "Return of the Lost Tribe"

Side 2

1. "Little Gwen"
2. "Pedro"
3. "Another Kind of Groove"
4. "Freedom of Speech"

References

1. Blumenthal, Bob (December 31, 1987). "1987: The arts of the year in review". The Boston Phoenix. Vol. 16, no. 53. p. 10.
2. Prestianni, Sam (September 2005). "Kahil El'Zabar's Ritual Trio feat. Billy Bang: Live at the River East Arts Center". Jazziz. Vol. 22, no. 9. pp. 55, 57.
3. Burke, Jack (June 21, 1988). "New jazz recordings". Stevens Point Journal. p. 12.
4. The New Grove Dictionary of Jazz. Vol. 1 (2nd ed.). Grove. 2002. p. 127.
5. Sachs, Lloyd (November 5, 1987). "Eighth Underground Fest lines up heroic musicians". Chicago Sun-Times. p. 2.75.
6. "Another Kind of Groove Kahil El'Zabar". AllMusic. Retrieved August 25, 2025.
7. Larkin, Colin (1998). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Vol. III. MUZE. p. 1784.
8. The Penguin Guide to Jazz on CD. Penguin Books. 2000. p. 472.
9. Joyce, Mike (April 8, 1988). "The Ethnic Explorations". The Washington Post. Weekend. p. 19.
10. Nastos, Michael G. (January 8, 1988). "Nastos picks the prime jazz and blues albums of '87". The Ann Arbor News. p. D5.
11. "Top Ten Records". Calendar. The Boston Globe. December 10, 1987. p. 10.
12. "Top Ten Records of the Decade". Calendar. The Boston Globe. December 21, 1989. p. 13.
13. Reich, Howard (May 14, 1995). "A Deep Breadth". Chicago Tribune. p. 13.14.
14. Mitchell, Rick (July 9, 1995). "Recordings". Zest. Houston Chronicle. p. 33.
15. The Rough Guide to Jazz (3rd ed.). Rough Guides. 2004. p. 41.