Music from the Coffee Lands, Vol. II
Fortunately for the Putumayo label, the nations that grow coffee also  produce some of the best music on the planet. Otherwise, we might have something  as unattractive asSongs from the Linseed-Oil-Processing Countriesinstead of this savory disc. Marketing devices aside, there is undeniable  romance to a cup of fine coffee, and compiler Jacob Edgar superbly captures that  mild but heady exotica in songs from Central and South America, Africa, and  Asia. The Dominican Republic's Titico y Los Caracoles del Amargue brew a spicy  mug ofbachatawith popping guitar lines and conch-shell "trumpet" parts.  Mexico's Correo Aero bring a lush harp lead and a definite high-altitude feel to  the Venezuelan traditional song "Fiesta Lianera."  Ex-3 Mustaphas 3bass man  and vocalist Sabah Habbas Mustapha joins forces with Java's Jugala All-Stars for  a cosmopolitan romp blending Sudanese instruments (including the haunting suling  flute) and Congolese bass and drum patterns. Though not well known for  caffeinated drinks, Martinique enjoys fame for its Creole pop. Wielding his  trademark banjo, Martinican Kali hitches a gentle reggae bounce to local  sensibilities on "Monte la Rivie," a song about finding the source of the river  of life. Nicely documented with liner notes that even contain coffee drink  recipes,Music from the Coffee Lands IIis good to the last cut.--Bob  Tarte