Erik Truffaz is unusual for a jazz trumpeter in that he keeps his music open not only to early-'70s
Miles Davis fusion but hip-hop, Indian music, and even bits of rap. Five of the dozen pieces on
Saloua utilize one or two exotic-sounding singers who also rap a little. Otherwise the music is an eccentric brand of fusion that sometimes uses samples and various types of electronics.
Truffaz manages to pull it off by not neglecting his trumpet playing (unlike say
Donald Byrd in his mid-'70s funk/fusion/pop efforts) and being creative no matter what the mixture of idioms. Still, only truly open-minded listeners will be interested in his music. ~ Scott Yanow