Tommy T - Prester John Sessions

Album Review by Duncan Forgan | 08 Jan 2010
Album title: The Prester John Sessions
Artist: Tommy T
Label: Easy Star
Release date: 25 Jan

One of the most ancient countries in the world, Ethiopia’s wellspring of history and mysticism – not to mention its status as the spiritual home of Rastafarianism – has fired the imagination of countless musicians. The latest to draw deep from this intoxicating brew is Gogol Bordello bassist Tommy T. Of Ethiopian descent himself, the musician uses an ancient legend about a lost realm as the basis for a love letter to the African state that is always affecting and occasionally magical.

The idea of someone weaving a story about an old king into a musical framework of funk, jazz and reggae might well sound like a chore, but somehow this succeeds. The best tracks are the ones that stick closest to the source. The Response featuring Ethiopian songbird Gigi propels giddily along on an irresistible wave of acoustic African instrumentation while dub interludes such as Oromo Dub are as shrouded in fuggy mystery as the land they were inspired by. [Duncan Forgan]

 

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