The Rough Guide to Franco: Africa's Legendary Guitar Maestro
They called him the "Sorcerer of the Guitar," and with his  band, O.K. Jazz, he helped shaped not only the history of Congolese  rumba, but also soukous.Francowas a giant,  not just physically, but also in reputation, a guitar god every bit the  equal of Hendrix or Clapton, but unknown in the West. This first U.S.  compilation devoted to his work begins in the mid-1950s, when he was  still a teenager, with "Merengue," and runs through 1987, and  "Attention Na Sida," his final recording before dying of AIDS two years  later. In between you get to understand his genius, not just as an  instrumentalist, but also as a singer and writer, his band shading and  filling out the music beautifully, while Franco himself produces  flurries of notes and fluid runs that call to mind both Wes Montgomery  and Ali Farka Toure. Compiled by biographer Graeme Ewens, these songs  capture all the facets, from the brief catchy singles, the sizzling  live magic, and the extended album tracks--and every one is vital.--Chris Nickson