CD: Adriano Adewale Group, Sementes

Percussion and wind instruments have an affinity that goes back aeons, and Brazilian percussionist Adriano Adewale makes the most of it on this album, which features woodwinds by regular collaborator Marcelo Andrade and appearances by producer Gilad Atzmon. Adewale has been a welcome presence on the UK scene for years, playing with Monica Vasconcelos, Antonio Forcione (who guests on Encanto) and Jonathan Priess, of samba/choro group Caratinga. Sementes (Seeds) resists easy categorisation. Kadialy Kouyate's measured kora parts give the ensemble a timeless, West African slant, while Nathan Riki Thomson's bass adds contemporary, nu-jazz suppleness. The shrill winds of Comboio somehow link north-eastern Brazil with Eastern Europe. Adewale's compositions are simple but uncliched, featuring different percussive combinations on nearly every track. It's beautifully recorded, too.