Track Listings (11) - Disc #1| All Artists: Markus James Title: Nightbird Members Wishing: 0 Total Copies: 0 Label: Firenze Records Original Release Date: 2/26/2002 Release Date: 2/26/2002 Genres: Dance & Electronic, Blues, International Music, Pop Styles: World Dance, Africa Number of Discs: 1 SwapaCD Credits: 1 UPC: 754971076822 |
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Search - Markus James :: Nightbird
 | Markus James Nightbird Genres: Dance & Electronic, Blues, International Music, Pop
On Nightbird, this 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 Light... more » |
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Product Description On Nightbird, this 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. Similarly Requested CDs
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CD ReviewsI can't believe I'm about to say this, but... M. Demian | Canterbury, Kent, UK | 11/03/2002 (5 out of 5 stars) "...if you buy no other CD this year, buy this one. I heard one song from it on my fabulous independent local radio station (way to go WKZE!) in the car, and immediately had to seek out the nearest record store to buy it. This is one of the most sophisticated and moving albums I've heard in years. For those of you who are thinking, "Yeah right, Damon Albarn went to Mali and all we got was that lousy 'Mali Music,'" fear not. Unlike certain parties who should have stuck to the bland Britpop they're best at, James' musical maturity actually matches that of his Malian collaborators. And in this case they ARE collaborators rather than the window dressing non-Western musicians usually wind up being on Euro-American artists' albums. The result is an album that is anthropology rather than tourism: it represents a relationship between two creative worlds rather than "look at this nice souvenir I picked up and plunked on my CD." We are in the presence of something entirely new, in that it is hard to see where James' influence as a songwriter ends and the Malian influence begins. The songs are textured, understated, with the spare lyricism of the blues and the dignified polyrhythms of the West African griot tradition. As a collection they are more than the sum of their parts - the album seems to be one long meditation rather than 11 distinct songs. The Biblical imagery James deploys actually works here, as we have the sense that this effort represented something akin to a religious pilgrimage. For me at least it was a religious experience, as I have finally had a glimpse of what a true "world music" could look like. Hallelujah." Deep, soulful hasu | Western Mass. | 03/18/2002 (5 out of 5 stars) "I read about this in several places, and am pleased to report that it lives up to the rave reviews. These are sultry, moody songs, set to minimal arrangements featuring Ali Farka Toure's percussionist (calabash), among other great Malian players. MJ has pulled off something unique, and very soulful. My top picks: "goin home", "midnight", "at the well", "one drop".....these are songs that really cast a spell. Never heard anything like it." Midnight on the delta / desert hasu | 03/03/2003 (5 out of 5 stars) "I love this original sound of traditional Malian instruments
and blues influenced singing and guitar playing. Great songs, which often feel like mesmerizing soundscapes. Highly recommended." |
