Idan Raichel, pianist from Israel, met Vieux Farka Touré, singer / guitarist from Mali, by accident at a German airport. Both were on tour, on their way to their next gig. Raichel tapped Touré and told him that he would leave his own band if he could join as a pianist in the Vieux band. The animated conversation ended with Vieux's promise that he would come to Israel one day to perform with Raichel
… there. He kept his word and a year later the duo stood side by side on stage. The one-off performance tasted like more, both for the spectators and the musicians themselves. The result is this CD. The songs on this CD were recorded during a four-hour overnight jam session. According to the photos in the booklet, it was a cheerful mess. The largely instrumental songs are based on motifs from West Africa and the Middle East. Nice to hear how the tripping sound of Raichel's piano matches the swaying melodies of Touré. The Touré-Raichel Collective is therefore a successful fusion project. (PdK)more
