Guitarist and singer/songwriter Corey Harris hosted the first episode of the PBS TV series Martin Scorsese Presents The Blues, exploring the links between deep southern sounds and their links to Africa. His new album does much the same thing at leisure, fusing West African rhythms to the acoustic blues of black American country terrain.
Assisted by traditionalists like Sam Carr, Ali Farka Toure and the drumming master Souleyman Kane, Harris is working in a field that could appeal to lovers of Ry Cooder and Taj Mahal. Indeed, “Catfish Blues” and “Mr Turner” are forged in honour of their cultural clashes. An admirable companion piece to Corey’s 2002 disc Downhome Sophisticate, this album should soon resonate through European concert halls. Good stuff.