It seems like a long time ago now - especially as I’m writing this snowed in at home - but it was way back in August that i decided I wanted to launch Broad Casting 2009 with a live show from Tony Allen. Since Broad Casting is all about unique line-ups and collaborations, I asked Tony who he would most like to collaborate with and he said that he really wanted to work with The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble. Never one to shy away from a challenge, I set about trying to work out how we were going to get a 9-man brass band over from Boston as well as draft in a host of guest vocalists including long-time collaborator Ty and Tony’s current favourite pop artist Natty.

As you can imagine the logistics in the lead up to this show were absolutely crazy - not least because we also needed to find UK-based guitar, bass and keyboard players to back Tony. Luckily his old collaborator Dele Sosimi was on hand to pull these guys together just in time for rehearsals the day before the show! Having picked my favourite Hypnotic tracks and Tony picking his, the musicians then had just a few hours the day before to rehearse together and as they arrived on stage i was aware they hadn’t managed to have a full run-through of the set with all musicians present! I was nervous to say the least but luckily none of the musicians were - not least the Hypnotics who, having performed an impromptu track in the bar area for those who couldn’t fit in the main venue, stormed the stage with a confidence and energy that was truly impressive. In contrast Tony’s relaxed demeanour never once betrayed the complexity of the rhythms he was laying down and his constant smile showed no trace of tiredness even by the end of the 2 hour set!

It’s difficult to pick a highlight from such an incredible night but when Baaba Maal took the stage accompanied by gasps of surprise and delight from what was the fullest Cargo i have ever seen, I have to say my heart skipped a beat. His voice and presence were captivating and when he announced that he felt like he was in Lagos he really reflected the feeling of many of the audience - several of whom have e-mailed us saying it felt like the closest they would ever get to the atmosphere of Fela’s ‘Shrine’.

Filling in for Elmore judd in the support slot were the The Mighty Jeddo who’s energetic performance blew a few cobwebs out of the Cargo sound-system and introduced an unsuspecting crowd to the noisy possibilities of extreme/death jazz! And at the other end of the night we asked Malcolm Catto to come out of DJ retirement to spin a few selections from his legendary record collection and that’s exactly what he did!

This really was a dream line-up even before Baaba showed up, so what a perfect night for us to be capturing everything on multi-track audio and high quality video! So fear not - if you didn’t manage to get a ticket, you can listen to the best hour of the show on Red Bull Music Academy Radio