Mombasa ‎– African Rhythms & Blues

This Rough Guide showcases some of Africa’s leading lights of the guitar, both past and present, from West African bluesmen Samba Touré and Alhousseini Anivolla to the fingerpicking wizardry of South African maskanda legend Shiyani Ngcobo.

John Lee Hooker - The Country Blues Of John Lee Hooker (1959) {Remastered & Expanded rel 2015}
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© 1959, 2015 Riverside / Soul Jam Records | 600869
Blues / Country Blues / Delta Blues / Acoustic Blues / Detroit Blues

In 1959, John Lee Hooker signed a one-off deal with the Riverside label to record an acoustic session of the country blues. It was a key change from his earlier recordings, most of which had featured Hooker on an electric guitar with his trademark reverb and stomping foot. Folk purists of the day were delighted with COUNTRY BLUES, believing Hooker had returned to his roots, leaving the "glitzy commercialism" of R&B behind. But some Hooker fans considered COUNTRY BLUES a "betrayal" of his true sound. The truth is probably somewhere in-between. Remember, John Lee Hooker is always John Lee Hooker, regardless of the format. If you like Hooker, or acoustic blues, buy this album. It is an intimate session featuring standards like "How Long", "Bottle Up and Go", as well as Hooker's first recorded take on "Tupelo", one of his all-time classics.

Johnny Copeland's eclectic nature is on display on Jungle Swing, an ambitious collaboration with jazz pianist Randy Weston. Weston brings a selection of African rhythms and melodic textures to the table, which are incorporated subtly into the rhythmic underpinnings of each song. In no sense is Jungle Swing a worldbeat experiment – it's just a small, affectionate tribute. Even so, the African flourishes don't dominate the sound of the record. Like always, Copeland takes center stage with his clean, precise licks. At this point in his career, he knows exactly what to play and the guitarist never overplays throughout the course of the disc. There are a few weak moments on the disc, but the sheer strength of Copeland's musicianship – and his willingness to stretch out ever so slightly – make it worth the time for any of his fans.

Delta blues is one of the earliest styles of blues music. Created by black musicians who lived and worked on the farms in north Mississippi, these men and women drew on influences from church songs, prison songs, African rhythms, and early American folk traditions to fashion a new form of music. Unbeknownst to them, the music created in this relatively small area that lies between the Mississippi and Yazoo Rivers would spread the world over and shape musical history.

Dan Treanor and African Wind laying down some award winning Afrosippi Blues. This CD was nominated for Blues CD of the Year by the Independent Music Awards!
It's what he calls Afrosippi Blues. Veteran Colorado bluesman Dan Treanor is at it again. Following the success of the critically acclaimed Northern Blues release - African Wind - that featured the classic vocals of Frankie Lee, Mercy continues down that eclectic path he calls Afrosippi Blues. Joined this time by his outstanding band, African Wind, and show casing the soulful voice of long time blues singer Rex Peoples, Mercy twists and turns through a musical land scape of African grooves, Delta Soul, hill country raunch, and Rhythm & Blues class. Mercy is totally unapologetic when it comes to exploring the deep connection between West African griot music and American Blues…

In October 2020, Justin Adams, whose post-punk approach has been en-riched by a passion for Arabic and African trance/blues, and Mauro Durante, a visionary inheritor of the Taranta roots of his native Puglia got together to make an intense and intimate album: Still Moving. They recorded live in the studio, without overdubs. Together they found what was essential in their common sound, reaching into traditional music from Italy (folk songs like 'Damme La Manu', classics like 'Amara Terra Mia') and America ('Little Moses', the Carter Family classic). Original songs, like 'Dark Road Down' mix the wild pizzica rhythm of Southern Italy and trance boogie, while 'Djinn Pulse' goes from serene instrumental minimalism to hypnotic catharsis. The title song 'Still Moving' evokes Mediterranean migration with the ancient frame drum and raw electric guitar providing a starkly beautiful landscape.

Various Artists - Classic African American Songsters (2014) {Smithsonian Folkways SFW40211}
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© 2014 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings | SFW40211
Blues / Folk / Jazz / Acoustic Blues / Country Blues / Country-Folk / Ragtime

The 2014 Smithsonian compilation, Classic African American Songsters from Smithsonian Folkways, brings together recordings culled from the museum's vast collection that showcase the stylistic diversity of artists who, though largely known for playing the blues, performed many other genres of music. These are songs that move through such wide-ranging styles as ragtime, country, Tin Pan Alley, and more. Included are songs by Big Bill Broonzy, Lead Belly, Mississippi John Hurt, Peg Leg Sam, and many others.