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1 Various Global Reggae Selection Vol 2 Pistolera En Este Camino (Luchadora
1 (Urban Sedated USR 004) A superior selec- 61689297292) Rockin’ good Latin four-piece
tion of 14 reggae tracks from most corners of out of New York City, mixing various Mexican
the world – Africa, Europe, USA and Australia styles with pop to fine effect. Big on swinging
in addition to the Caribbean – in which the accordeon and all-stops-out full-throated
conscious message of the lyrics is given the choruses.
www.pistolera.net
heavy bass treatment it deserves. Worthy and
1 Proudfoot Lincolnshire (own label no
listenable, with occasional flashes of inspira-
cat. no.) Decent Brit country s/s with a quality
tion, it’s worth checking out if there’s a gap in
band including and produced by B.J. Cole, all
your collection for an international reggae
in a classy Digipak. Americans regularly dole
compilation.
www.urbansedated.com
out far worse. Contact
michael@proudfoot.tv
1 Resnik, Thompson, Wager Twist Of @ Various African Reggae (Putumayo PUT
The Wrist (own label 8 84501 09346 0) The 2872) A standard selection of 10 reggae
old phrase ‘a curate’s egg’ comes to mind tracks from assorted African artists with an
with the album from this New England trio.
unfortunate emphasis on the bland poppy
When they are playing dance tunes derived
end of the spectrum. Much of it is pleasant
from seminal figures in English and French
enough, especially the track featuring Tiken
dance music, they succeed well. The singing is
Jah Fakoly with Ba Cissoko on kora, but taken
pure though somewhat uninspired, and
as a whole it’s all a bit, well, unnecessary.
when they attempt to play with a jazzy
www.putumayo.com
swing, they just can’t hack it.
rresnik@vpr.net
1 La Shica Trabajito De Chinos (Warner
1 Various The Rough Guide To Afrobeat
Spain 5144267432) Patchy but decent enough
The albums – good (2), adequate (1) and Revival (World Music Network RGNET
mix of flamenco with contemporary styles. Not
bad (@) – which didn’t get the full-length 1218CD) Fela’s enormous stoned legacy adopt-
much to complain about here, but not much
treatment, contributed individually by a ed and carried on by his most illustrious col-
to write home about either.
www.lashica.com
selection of our various reviewers cowering league (Tony Allen), a son (Seun), and a vari-
under the cloak of collective anonymity.
1 Alan Reid & Rob Van Sante The Rise
ous and motley crowd. Plenty of timely anti-
1
And Fall O’ Charlie (Red Sands RSCD002)
Bob Dylan Together Through Life
authoritarianism, inseparable from the genre,
Concept album tells Prince Charlie’s story
(Columbia 88697438932) In which the wily
and for a good hard choogle on the dance
using traditional Scots and Gaelic songs,
old croaker largely trundles through a selec-
floor, guaranteed incitement. Comes with a
accompanied by keyboards, guitars, pipes,
tion of familiar blues tunes from the back
free CD from Kokolo.
www.worldmusic.net
cello, fiddle, whistle. Wendy Weatherby and
pages of the likes of Willie Dixon, Leadbelly, 1 Sidestepper The Buena Vibra Sound
Maeve MacKinnon provide excellent vocals.
Sleepy John Estes and even himself, with new System (Palm Beats PALMCD2138) A collec-
Alan Reid’s four original songs powerfully
words. That’s the time-honoured folk process tion of remixes, unreleased tracks and indeed
present the ugly reality of the ‘Bonnie’ Prince.
of course, and the addition of Los Lobos’s unreleased remixes from the long dormant
www.myspace.com/alanreidrobvansante
David Hidalgo on squeezebox ups the aural UK/ Colombian digital-meets-roots project. An
@ Boom Pam Puerto Rican Nights (Essay
rootsiness quotient. Good, but not vintage. entertaining enough stopgap, but have they
2
Recordings AY CD 18) Israeli outfit combining
Ray Camacho & The Teardrops The
got any fresh ideas?
www.sidestepper.net
spaghetti western guitar twang with Balkan
Best Of… (Freestyle FSRCD052) Subtitled Chi- @ Ariella Uliano A.U. (Almost) A Compi-
and Middle Eastern influences. The odd bright
cano Salsa, Funk, Cumbia & Soul 1968-71, this lation (Musicarie AU005) Reedy Italian singer
moment, but this is a one joke idea that’s
is top-rate Mexicans in California doing exact- trapped in an echo chamber administering
wearing very thin.
www.essayrecordings.com
ly what it says on the box. It’s on the very last rites to Skye Boat Song, Sally Gardens etc.
1 Marina Rossell Clàssics Catalans…
fringes of fRoots land, but boy does it cook! Not a happy listening experience.
(World Village WV 498023) More patriotic
www.freestylerecords.co.uk
1 The QP Intro (QP QPCD0801) Lots of good
@
songs from this prominent Catalan singer.
Fågel Roc Dans & Dröm (PbP FR 091) Their ideas here, heaps of rhythmic trickery, bags of
Although there’s a 40-minute live DVD (no
album Kropp & Själ got a level thumb here for
oomph and crossing of ethnic styles. You can
translation of interviews, alas) and some ster-
its poppy Middle Eastern dance grooves. Hand
see the potential, go for it; bright and willing
ling guests (Miguel Poveda, Miquel Gil and
the lot over to a bunch of remixers to do the
to learn, The QP have but one fault and that’s
Santiago Auserón), Rossell’s earnest, mother-
predictable stuff that remixers do and the
too much that’s high end, they’re missing the
ly tones ensure this is only moderately com-
thumb inevitably droops.
www.fagelroc.se
heavy groove that an electric bass would bring
pelling, as usual. Via Harmonia Mundi.
1 Lura Eclipse (Lusafrica 562222) The
to their brilliant drummer. As an introduction
fourth album by this Lisbon-born artist of
though, this’ll do.
www.theqp.co.uk
2 Various The Original Transatlantic Ses-
Cape Verdean descent includes tabanka,
1
sions With Aly Bain & Jay Ungar, Volume
Blick Bassy Léman (World Connection
One (Whirlie WHIRLIECD15) 1994’s Transat-
morna, funaná, etc. in largely acoustic
WC43079) Cameroonian singer with a rich
lantic Sessions gathered together the cream
arrangements, but adds little new to her oeu-
soulful voice and fine sense of melody, but
of Scottish, Irish and American roots musi-
vre. Despite three songs by Mário Lúcio and
this pleasant jazz-soul lacks the requisite
cians and filmed them. If you watched the
other great writers, this isn’t the break-
roots edge to be recommendable to the
BBC4 rerun recently, you’ll want this CD just
through she needs. Via Harmonia Mundi.
fRooted readership. Via Proper in the UK.
for the John Martyn/ Kathy Mattea perfor-
2 Jean Redpath With Abby Newton Will
@ Fatima Spar & The Freedom Fries Trust
mance of May You Never. www.allcelticmu-
Ye No Come Back Again? The Songs Of
(Geco Tonwaren H-550-2) Misfiring oriental
sic.com/labels/Whirlie Records.html
Lady Nairne (Greentrax CDTRAX334) Origi-
swing band sounds from a Turkish singer and
nally recorded in 1986, this reissue is the
Austrian band. Lots of annoying OTT vampy
1 Various Les Maîtres Du Bèlè Vol. 2
definitive recording of the songs of Lady
vocals and nothing very memorable.
(Buda 860173) Based in Sainte-Marie in Mar-
Nairne (1766-1845), many of which have
www.fatimaspar.com
tinique, Les Maîtres Du Bèlè are led by Con-
stant Vélasques, Benoît Rastocle and Pierre
become traditional standards. Redpath, the
greatest Scots singer of her generation, is ele-
Fatima Spar
Chonquet, on 20 pieces showcasing the
island’s vocal and percussive traditions. Of
gantly accompanied by cello and fiddle.
ethnomusicological interest perhaps, but oth-
www.greentrax.com, distributed by Proper.
ers are advised to stick with Guadeloupe’s
1 Goran Bregovic Alkohol – Slivovica & Gwo-Ka masters. Via Discovery in the UK.
Champagne (Mercury/ Blue Wrasse 531 509-
1 Günther Burndorfer & Heinz Stein-
1) Big, swaggering brassy Balkan sounds from
bauer Fine Blend (own label 9 007970
the man best known for his film soundtracks.
002998) A very late ‘60s/ early ‘70s sounding
Lots of energy, but little in the way of subtle-
affair with Burndorfer’s ragtime-influenced
ty or variety.
www.wrasserecords.com
guitar picking and laid-back singing and
@ Jef Stott Saracen (Six Degrees 657036 Steinbauer’s clarinet, soprano sax and
1146-2) Middle-Eastern-flavoured digital beats accordeon. Sort of Kicking Mule light. You
from a US multi-instrumentalist/ producer. All wouldn’t know they were Austrian.
very slickly put together, but some proper
fineblend@inode.at
tunes would have been nice.
www.jefstott.com
@ Various Songs Across Walls Of Separa-
1 The Hofners Colorama (Long Man 050 tion (Kirkelig Kulturverksted FXCD 336) A col-
CD) Nice chunky recording of southern lection of songs celebrating the power of music
English crew with a Dan Hicksy approach to to break down the walls in divided countries
bluesy jazz, tango, Hawaiian and swing. (Cyprus, Palestine, etc.), featuring collabora-
Good playing too, but having very little con- tions between global and western artists (Nat-
vincing soul in the lugubriously smooth mid- acha Atlas and Tom Russell amongst them).
Atlantic vocals rather takes the shine off Such a laudable cause, but such awkward and
things.
www.myspace.com/thehofners lacklustre music.
www.songsacrosswalls.com
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