Lionel Loueke: Karibu

Since arriving in the United States from his native Benin, in Western Africa, guitarist Lionel Loueke has blazed onto the jazz scene with a spark unseen from a foreign musician in some time. On his Blue Note debut, Karibu, he and his band groove through the title track with ease. Drummer Ferenc Nemeth provides an excellent backdrop for Loueke's vocals and guitar solo when the swing section starts. This album might have been the start for Loueke in the USA, but he is someone the jazz community will be listening to for years to come.