Calabash Blues

James, Markus
Firenze Records
World | Mar 2006

Reviews

Decca
Reviewed 2006-03-31
World blues/roots music from a locally-based guitarist/singer who seems to have adopted Mali as his spiritual homeland. This release has 7 new tracks and the rest are selections from his previous CDs. Accompanied by calabash (traditional gourd percussion). Tracks range from soaring blues to more rock-based, but it’s all Memphis by way of Timbuktu. Cool stuff for fans of both world and blues.

*1. Cool guitar/calabash, mid/down like an African Howlin Wolf.
*2. Whispery vocals, spare guitar, spooky downtempo.
*3. Fairly straight blues moan guitar/harp/perc. Downtempo.
4. Driving guitar w/a blues/Afro rock sound. Mid/uptempo.
5. Cool, lowdown, midtempo blend of perc/voices/guitar.
6. Short & relaxed blend of whispery vocals/guitar/soft perc.
*7. Lowdown guitar/soft vocals, lowkey tribute to Skip James.
8. Nicely cool Afro funk blues, mid/uptempo. Chorus.
*9. Nicely scratchy vox/mditempo blues w/great guitar.
10. Lowkey vocal duet w/cool percussion accents.
11. Raw vox/guitar, harp. Lowkey and lowdown.
12. Is that a flute? Downtempo guitar/vox/perc blend.
13. Driving midtempo blues w/extra guitar goodness.

Recent airplay

Come Around
Deep Fried and SanctifiedJan 06, 2009
Come Around
The Cafe AmericainJul 04, 2006
Other Side Of The World
At the Cafe BohemianMay 30, 2006
Nightbird
The Hair of the DogMay 29, 2006
Come Around
At the Cafe BohemianMay 23, 2006
Come Around
No Cover, No MinimumApr 17, 2006

Charting

2006-04-02 — 2006-06-04 Reggae/World
Week EndingAirplays
Jun 4 2
May 28 1
Apr 23 1
Apr 16 2
Apr 9 2

Track listing

1. Come Around
2. Need A Believer
3. Other Side Of The World
4. Jump Up And Fly / Mone
5. Wakin' Up At Midnight / Ebina
6. One Drop
7. Dream After Dream (For Skip James)
8. Wabissimila
9. Nightbird
10. Far As I Can Run / Majirica Samba
11. In The Shadows
12. Sun Is Rising
13. Way To Go