Byard Lancaster - Funny Funky Rib Crib (Kindred Spirits) There’s a minor retro buzz building around Byard Lancaster, and much of it is to do with this 1970s release on the obscure Palm label - after a few spins, it’s not difficult to understand the commotion. Byard originally made a name for himself as a sideman for Sun Ra, Larry Young and McCoy Tyner, before moving to Paris and releasing nine albums under his own name. Funny Funky Rib Crib is reputedly the best, and it’s a floor-shaking, Afro-funk effort, with Lancaster’s saxophone to the fore, but leaving plenty of room for African guitarist Francois Nyombo (Lafayette Afro Rock Band) and French pianist Francois Tusques. For a player brought up on the avant-garde side of the jazz tracks, it’s a remarkably accessible record, with a broad appeal to fusion or Afro-jazz fans. www.kindred-spirits.nl Rob F. Next