Rollicking gypsy funk collective Gogol Bordello has riled crowds with its freewheeling energy and crackpot on-stage antics. Now Ethiopian bassist Tommy T Gobena has struck out on his own for his rich, funk-laden solo debut, The Prester John Sessions.
Inspired by the ancient legend of Prester John, an Ethopian king whose wealthy domain sparked centuries-long searches for his kingdom, The Prester John Sessions is a heady brew of steamy jazz, chunky funk and balmy dub rhythms laced with contemporary and throwback Ethiopian musical sensibilities.
“Brothers” opens the album with warbling wah-wahs, feathery horns and fearless use of the Ethiopian instrument, Massinqo. The spare “September Blues” showcases the playful yet melancholy interplay between two lone saxophones. The dubby downtempo strains of “Eden” make for an elegant conflation of animated hard bop, easy reggae and traditional Ethiopian musical textures. A lush suite of pithy instrumentals aided by the Abyssinia Roots Collectiveand other passionate, masterful musicians, it’s a great debut for Gogol Bordello fans and connoisseurs of damn good music alike.
Download “The Response” here and check out tour dates below.
Tommy T Tour 2009 Dates
12/1 St. Petersburg, Russia Glav Club
12/2 Moscow, Russia Grand Milk Theatre
12/4 Kiev, Ukraine Balkan Fest
12/8 Warsaw, Poland Stodola
12/9 Krakow, Poland Rotunda
12/11 Prague, Czech Republic Sporthall
12/12 Dresden, Germany Reithalle
12/13 Erlangen, Germany E Werk
12/14 Karlsruhe, Germany Tollhaus
12/16 Thessaloniki, Greece Principal Club
12/17 Athens, Greece TBA
12/19 Tel Aviv, Israel Hangar 11
12/20 Tel Aviv, Israel Barbey Club
