Lionel Loueke: Mwaliko | CD review

(Blue Note)Herbie Hancock calls his west African guitar partner Lionel Loueke "a musical painter". The Beninese musician has drawn the pianist's urban soliloquies into the more softly harmonious world of his mingled African, Latin and American guitar styles. Though there are three lively tracks for his regular trio, Loueke has focused on duets, often strongly African-inflected, with Angelique Kidjo, Esperanza Spalding, Richard Bona and Marcus Gilmore. The two Kidjo tracks are among the most vibr...

Read full article Share article