These are the best three tracks off of the short-lived 56th Street ensemble’s one recording. The reggae / West African group was comprised of Saskia Pretorius on lead vocals and guitar, me on viola, violin and mandocaster, KT Rusch on bass and Patrice Nassalang on percussion — plus contributions from Yaya Kambaye, also on percussion.
Nassalang and Kambaye, both talented drummers and dancers from Senegal, West Africa, play in a group Pathe founded called Jam Ak Jam, a Milwaukee-based West African drum and dance ensemble.
Pathe Nassalang, Yaya Kambaye, and Jahmes “Tony” Finlayson, with whom I played in One Drum, all were or are part of Milwaukee’s Ko-Thi Dance Company, on the web at http://www.ko-thi.org.
Saskia currently plays in a dub reggae group called Mt. Zion Sound System, on the web at myspace.com/mtzionsoundsystem.
Writing in the Flat Keys: Thacher Schmid's Portfolio 