Prester John Sessions, The

Tommy T – The Prester John Sessions
Reviewed by Sadie O., 12/11/09
Ethiopian-based Reggae/Jazz/Dub from the bassist of Gogol Bordello and a lot of friends, both western and Ethiopian. Much more laid-back than the punk mayhem of Gogol Bordello, and with its foundation in a completely different part of the world, it’s definitely a unique and interesting solo project.
No FCCs detected. I like 3 and 11 best.
1. 5:03 **mellow and swingy midtempo jazz-reggae instrumental. Features the Massinqo, an Ethiopian one-stringed bowed instrument.
2. 4:05 ***downtempo roots one-drop, pretty vocals. Juicy dub for last minute or so.
3. 4:43 ****Ethiopian strings and gorgeous guests vocals by Gigi, one of Ethiopia’s top divas. Mellow and sweet and just lovely.
4. 6:52 *smooth-jazz groove, with elements of music from Lalibela and lots of sax solo.
5. 4:35 ***midtempo dub skank with traditional Oromo songs.
6. 4:22 **mellow instrumental, but with lots of complex percussion, combination of Ethiopian and Nigerian musical traditions.
7. 4:11 ***midtempo dub bubble with horns and traditional instrumentation.
8. 3:17 ***upbeat loping groove, interesting and compelling fusion.
9. 3:30 **soulful sax in the rain. A bit noir.
10. 5:53 **mellow, lush jazz bubble with Gigi’s lovely vocals.
11. 4:35 ****uptempo dub skank, male vocals in English.