A drummer from the Bronx in Senegal should feel right at home, and Steve Reid apparently does on this collaboration, although he seems quite content to take a back seat, working with percussion and bass to build a platform for other instruments. There's no attempt to make the disc sound specifically African -- what comes out is a natural mix of the jamming between the musicians (except for "Welcome," which features Isa Koyate, vocals, and very distinctive kora). There are touches of funk, Afro-beat, jazz ("Jiggy Jiggy") -- just something amorphous, whose roots are definitely on one side of the Atlantic, but which have grown and developed elsewhere. The electronic touches tend to be more for effect and ornamentation than necessity. The question, of course, is what to make of all this. It's pleasant, but one of those instances where it was more fun for the musicians -- they certainly seem to be enjoying themselves. But the vamping and relative formlessness of the pieces mean that while they're pleasant as background, they don't sustain heavy listening. The playing is excellent (guitarist Jimi Mbaye is a slow burning standout), and as long as you don't expect anything earth-shattering, you won't be disappointed. A transitory pleasure.
© Chris Nickson /TiVo