Markus James, Nightbird - 60m 36s

Tracks & Durations

1. Goin home	5:12
2. Child see the rider	8:19
3. Are you thirsty (land of plenty)	7:41
4. Midnight	4:26
5. Rain	5:53
6. At the well	4:44
7. Nightbird	5:35
8. Pharaoh's daughter	6:57
9. One drop	1:38
10. River risin	5:11
11. Awo	4:53

Note: The information about this album is acquired from the publicly available resources and we are not responsible for their accuracy.

Review

It's a bold man who rides into Mali with a guitar and the notion of recording music alongside indigenous players playing indigenous instruments. After all, the small West African nation has produced a truckload of global superstars, among them Habib Koité, Salif Keita, Ali Farka Toure, Boubacar Traore, Rokia Traore, and Ali Hasan Kuban. In Mali, blues and pop seem to be in the blood, so right away, American singer-guitarist Markus James seems to set himself up for potential failure and claims of cultural tourism, popularly known as Ry Cooder syndrome. That he pulls things off so well on Nightbird is proof that James's ambition to add the supple sun-bleached elements of calabash and njarka to a clutch of songs that cleave to a standard blues blueprint is on target. It's also a testament to the willowy beauty of African rhythms, particularly spooned slowly over James's ginger guitar playing and distinctly Jaggeresque voice. Songs like the haunting, percussive "Midnight" seem to murmur from a distant dune, while the closing track, "Awo," sails lazily past on a chorus of chants. As goosebumpy music goes, Nightbird ranks. --Kim HughesOn Nightbird, San Francisco singer/songwriter successfully finds the parallels between Malian pop, rock, and the blues, specifically, the sort of dusky, haunting blues that worked so well for John Lee Hooker and Lightnin' Hopkins. Recorded in Bamako, Mali, during the summer of 2000, this excellent CD isn't easy to categorize. Blues, rock, and Malian pop are all influences, and on Nightbird, slide guitar sounds perfectly natural alongside traditional African instruments like the calabash, the njarka, and the tama. The people joining James (whose earthy vocals have a Mick Jagger-ish quality) range from Malian musicians (including Afro-pop artist Mama Sissoko) to American singer Sarah Baker. Bring all of these different artists and influences together and the end results are as enriching as they are intriguing. Nightbird could be described as Mick Jagger meets John Lee Hooker meets Habib Koite (who is one of Mali's top pop singers and is best known for his early-'90s hit "Cigarette a Bana"). Obviously, James sees the parallels between Hooker's blues and Malian pop: both can be very moody, not to mention soulful. And the word soulful certainly describes this excellent CD, which blues, rock, and Afro-pop enthusiasts should all be aware of.

Please note: we do not provide any Markus James music downloads, have no any mp3 music including music samples and music ringtones, and can not assist you where to buy music CDs and used CDs. You can search for it on music sites all over the Internet or visit one of our advertisers. We appreciate any ideas and comments about this experimental music database.