Latest Reviews: G-I

Gaby Kerpel: Carnabailito

Nonesuch

So who is this guy? From Argentina, Kerpel explodes as a fully-developed force, working in collaboration with producer Gustavo Santaolalla on an album that clambers freely all over the globe in an adventurous and mischievious way. Wonderfully imossible to put in a single pigeonhole, it employs loops, samples, string quartets and more to create something challenging but absolutely arresting, a stunning solo debut for Kerpel.

Gary Lucas: The Edge of Heaven

Indigo

The former Captain Beefheart guitarist has taveled everywhere musically, but this is a strange and beautiful place. His lush, evocative style brings out the rich melodies of this music, making it eminently accessible, rather than something hidden. The singing is equally resonant. Lucas is a longtime fan of this music, and his love for it shows in the care and respect with which he approaches the material. He's never overly reverent, putting his own stamp on it, but he never loses the sense of what it's saying, and its languid, romantic mood.

Ghazal: The Rain

ECM

An utterly gorgeous live recording from the Persian-Indian supergroup. A mix of kamanacheh (a spike fiddle), sitar, and tabla shouldn't have the power to transport, but this does. It's not merely the quality of the musicians or their improvisatory skills, although that's part of it. Ghazal proves to be more than the sum of its parts (and the spacious ECM production helps). Brilliant isn't an overstatement; in fact, it's hardly strong enough in this case. Not so much world music as celestial.

Gjallarhorn: Grimborg

Northside

Some bands keep forging ahead in their sound, and Gjallarhorn is one of them. All the evidence you need is on the title cut, with its wild, but superb, cello line. However, that's only the tip of the iceberg. While keeping one foot in tradition, they're also reaching out much more to the avant garde, and their didgeridoo has become fully integrated into the sound (rather than a slight novely, as it has been originally). There's real adventure here, whether it's the inclusion of bass clarinet here and there, or Jenny Wilhelm's full-throated (and chilling) cow call on "Kulning." Gjallarhorn, it seems, are truly finding themselves.

Guy Davis: Chocolate to the Bone

Red House

With each new disc, Davis more and more takes on the mantle of a real bluesman. Whether on his own material, or on a wide range of blues covers, the authenticity seeps out of him. The form has become part of him now. Even when he takes on Chicago blues, he brings a rural dust with him, and a voice that he's completely grown into. His band is solid yet subtle, and this may just be his most satisfying record to date.

Habib Koite: Fôly! Live Around the World

World Village

Well, live in Europe, really, but that's splitting hairs. It doesn't matter where he is, Koité puts on a great show. The band has plenty of room to stretch out and they use it to great effect, with the man himself leading from the front, not afraid to relinquish the spotlight, but also proving to be a superb guitarist. Nothing new in the material, but that's fine. For anyone who's seen him live, this is an accurate representation. For those who haven't, it's something that'll make you want to go.

Harmonia: Music of Eastern Europe

Traditional Crossroads

A virtuosic US-based group of either immigrants or those descended from Eastern Europeans does fine justice to their heritage here. It's a grab bag of countries and styles, but every single one is handle with graceful ease and aplomb. There's never technical flash for its own sake, but always to illuminate the music, whether or instrumentals or songs (vocalls beautifully handled by Beata Begeniova). There's simply so much meat here that it's impossible to digest in one sitting - but it more than repays repeated playing.

Harv: Töst

Northside

The fiddle duo has now expanded to a four-piece, adding guitar and drums, and it certainly rocks their sound out, without ever betraying their Swedish folk roots. A fair number of the pieces are originals (many written for theatrical productions), but their sense of history is there throughout. The highlight might be "The Suite," but it's a record with no lows. The partnership of Stinnerbom and Sanden-Warg is tighter than ever (as it should be by now), and the freedom that other musicians give them make this a great folk-rock disc - with emphases on both folk and rock.

Henrik Jansberg: Signatur

Go! Danish Folk Music

The debut of an excellent young fiddle player with excellent technique and a great sense of humor. He can write a good tune and even do strong justice to traditional pieces on "Reventlows III." Good accompaniment offers him plenty of support, and it'll be interesting to hear where he goes from here. Denmark is full of fiddlers, but he offers the sense of being something special.

Hot Club of Cowtown: Continental Stomp

Hightone

They're great in the studio, but nothing quite compares with hearing this band live. For a three-piece they generate a lot of sound, and Elana Fremerman continues to improve, both on violin and vocals - hard to believe, since she was already so good. There's a swinging tightness to the band, and they way they cut loose on the old Bob Wills material is a charm. Recorded in their hometown of Austin, Texas, they're captured in the right place at the right time.

I Muvrini: Pulifinie

Higher Octave

The title - polyphony - pretty muich says it all. The voices - nine of them - are majestic, a choir of polyphonic harmony on their umpteenth album. They uphold the Corsican tradition beautifully, although the tracks with synth underneath veer toward New Age - they don't need any instruments. Stately, often almost sacred in its beauty, this is a tribute not only to the tradition, but also the remarkable power of the human voice. "Kyrie," in particular, is a standout, but everything is worth hearing (sans synth).

Ibrahim Ferrer: Buenos Hermanos

World Circuit/Nonesuch

A little less on the nostalgic side, and better for it. The usual Buena Vista suspects are there, and Chucho Valdes offers some stunning piano on a collections of songs that can only be described as superior. The performances are unforced, Ferrer has never sounded better, and the result is a warm, open disc that embraces today without ever trying to sound contemporary. This album, his first in four years, easily outstrips its predecessor.

Inti-Illimani: Lugares Comunes

Green Linnet

The Andean sound has always been the heartbeat of Inti-Illimani's sound. And they've never been afraid of mixing it with other South American styles. This time around there's often a delightfully formal approach to the music on this set of both instrumentals and songs that draw not only from their own pens, but several traditions. Theirs is a restrained, less is more approach that brings out the beauty of the melodies, while keeping the heritage strong. Veterans they may be, but they obviously haven't run out of steam.

Israel Vibration: Fighting Soldiers

RAS

It's hard to believe they're still around, and harder still to believe they can still sound so good. But the duo making up Israel Vibration these days still have everything solid in their music. Wiss and Skelly both sound as good as ever, and the musicians are absolutely top-notch - as is the writing, with "Men In High Places" a standout. Very political in parts, it shows that Israel Vibration remain vital, relevant, and very musical.

Issa Bagayogo: Tassoumakan

Six Degrees

The third album from 'Techno Issa,' as he's called, finds him continuing to meld Malian Wassoulou roots and beats and electric instruments. This time around the balance seems just about perfect, with neither side dominating the other, but working in a sympathetic and complemenatry fashion. The material is stronger than ever, and Bagayogo sounds supremely confident, both singing and on the kemele n'goni. This is the way it should be done, with just enough - but not too much - respect, and a light enough hand on the prgramming.