Ambiance

Modal jazz from John Coltrane, Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, and Rahsaan Roland Kirk left a clear imprint on Ambiance, an outstanding yet underrecognized post-bop ensemble that operated in Los Angeles throughout the late 1970s and early 1980s. The group embodied the spiritual vision of its founder and director, Daoud Abubakar Balewa, a saxophonist and flutist who doubled on African and Latin percussion and drew strong inspiration from world music. The roster also featured vocalist Monife Balewa, percussionist and singer Atiji Malomon, pianist Kimo Cornwell, keyboardist and composer Danny Newmark, bassist Randy Landis, guitarist Jim Lum, and several others. On the Da-Mon label owned by Daoud Abubakar Balewa, Ambiance issued a series of LPs during those same years, among them Ebun, Drift Up to Space, Tight and Tidy, and Into A New Journey, before the band dissolved.