A chance meeting led Israeli pianist Idan Raichel and Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré to meet up in Tel Aviv for a jam session, each with a friend; Israeli bassist Yossi Fine & Malian calabash (bottle gourd) percussionist Souleymane Kane. This CD is the result (with a few guests contributing in post-production). It was not intended as a recording session so the musicians were just improvising together; and one can almost hear the relaxed spontaneity. Vieux's masterful guitar playing is uncharacteristically not amplified. On many tracks the notes Raichel plays on the piano are those one might expect from a kora. As the jam continued the musicians must have realized that something special was happening - and you will too. This is rich!

Listen to this track and you'll see what's up

Live recording from an all-night Indian music festival, where this Grammy nominated, BBC World Music Award-winning Indian Pandit (master) slide-guitarist mesmerized the audience with sublime, inspiring compositions & improvisations. Tabla accompaniment by Subhasis Bhattacharjee. Played (with his brother on tabla) at the UVM Recital Hall in 2009.

SCORCHING HEAVINESS WITH PUNCTUATED MELODIC INTERRUPTIONS, GROANING FEEDBACK. THICK & EPIC ROCK WITH DARK THEMES, BORDERING ON METAL.

PLAY: 2, 3, 4, 5, 9

RIYL: BLACK MOUNTAIN, MASTODON

UPBEAT AMERICANA-ROCK WITH ACOUSTIC GUITARS, BANJOS, DISTORTED ELECTRICS AND CRASHING DRUMS.

PLAY: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6

RIYL: DEERTICK, BLITZEN TRAPPER

SOFT MALE VOCALS OVER UPBEAT 90'S INFLUENCED POP-ROCK. FROM SENSITIVE TO MORE AGGRESSIVE. MELODIC WITH START/STOP RHYTHMS.

PLAY:1, 3, 5, 6, 8

RIYL: THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS, DEATH CAB

SOARING VOCALS OVER INTRICATE LAYERS OF UPBEAT GUITAR ROCK AND DRIVING DRUMS. SOME POPPY, SOME BALLADS.

PLAY: 1, 2, 3, 7, 8

RIYL: DEATH CAB, BAND OF HORSES

TINDERSTICKS RETURN WITH SMOKY NORTHERN SOUL. JAZZY WITH HORNS AND LOUNGEY WITH CROONING VOCALS. MINIMAL AND DARK WITH MELLOW SYNTH BEATS.

PLAY: 3, 4, 5, 6

RIYL: TOM WAITS, JOHN CALE