African Fantasy
Trilok Gurtu's evolution from mere percussion wizard to innovative composer of global jazz fusion takes a quantum leap forward on this remarkable collection of African, Indian, American, and Asian music. Keeping his drum and tabla polyrhythms within the ensemble framework, save for some explosive solos on "Old African" and "Dinki Puriya," the Indian maestro focuses on making new sonic textures from cross-pollination. For example, "DJ Didgeridoo" blends the tones of the title instrument with Ravi Chary's sitar and soaring vocals fromZap Mama's Sabine Kabongo. "Big Brother" is an orchestral marvel of Indian and American strings and synthesizers topped by the magnificent voice of Mali'sOumou Sangare. Gurtu also reprises the song "You, Remember This" with his mother, the legendary singer Shobha Gurtu, and he teams up with vocalistAngelique Kidjoon two of the less adventurous tracks. The band, especially bassist Kai Eckhardt, provides robust, empathic support throughout.--Britt Robson