Blue Note
2008
Karibu
About This Album
Karibu is West African guitarist and vocalist Lionel Loueke's debut album for the Blue Note label, and his fourth overall. Loueke is best known to America's audiences as a sideman in Herbie Hancock's quartet, and for his stellar 2006 offering Virgin Forest on the wonderful ObliqSound imprint. Fans of Richard Bona's breezy blend of high string bass and wordless vocalizing will have a frame of reference at least in feel for Loueke's music, though the men are very different. On Karibu (Swahili for "welcome"), Loueke is joined by his longtime bandmates Ferenc Nemeth (drums/percussion) and Massimo Biolcati (bass), and by his former and future boss Hancock, and another musical mentor, Wayne Shorter, on a pair of cuts each, with one of them in common. Loueke's guitar playing comes off as sounding completely acoustic sometimes, as on the reading of John Coltrane's "Naima," like a griot's kora. The simple truth, however, is that he puts his instrument through a load of effects to get this sound. Loueke's wordless vocals and tongue-clicking are as much a part of his sound as his guitar playing and compositions. They add to the music a percussive effect and are often in counterpart to the rhythmic intent of Nemeth.
Track List (try tracks 2,5,7 and 9)

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