Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Lionel Loueke: GAïA

6

Lionel Loueke: GAïA

By

View read count
Lionel Loueke: GAïA
Guitarist Lionel Loueke brings a presence to jazz unlike any other due in part to his West African upbringing heard in the uniqueness of his playing, vocals and phrasing which have enriched recordings from trumpeter Terence Blanchard to singers Angelique Kidjo and Luciana Souza. Recorded live in front of a small audience Gaïa finds Loueke with longtime trio-mates bassist Massimo Biolcati and drummer Ferenc Nemeth in an intimate session that captures his musicality and spontaneity.

While the audio is not as refined as studio recordings Gilfema (ObliqSound, 2005) or Karibu (Blue Note, 2008), the recording harnesses the trio's artistic energy for an altogether rewarding experience. Things being wildly with "Broken" as Loueke's solos feverishly with gnarly sound effect as the rhythm section powers through the raucous tempo. While Loueke's signature blend of African flavors and jazz is intact, there's a definite rock music influence heard in "Sleepless Nights" and the scorched earth "Wacko Loco" as the trio rips through the killer riff.

But as usual, it's not easy to pigeonhole Loueke's music. There are melodious yet odd metered changes that travel from get-down funkiness in "Aziza Dance" to breezy atmospherics in "Source of Love." The music's playground includes an using an array of sound effects that range from grimy overdrive to silky synth keyboard-like emulations in "Veuve Malienne" enriched by Loueke's emotive African fingerpicking that flourishes in the tune "Forgiveness."

Gaïa 's meaning is a nod to Mother Earth, the music shedding light about the impact of humans on the planet. Add some funky string slap techniques, electronic touches, and psychedelia ("Eventeens"); gut-bucket rock blues ("Procession") and end things with a jamming West Africanized cover of the Bee Gees "How Deep Is Your Love" and this is one of Loueke's most memorable releases.

Track Listing

Broken; Sleepless Night; Sources of Love; Wacko Loco; Aziza Dance; Rain Wash; Forgiveness; Eventeens; Gaïa; Veuve Malienne; Procession; How Deep Is Your Love.

Personnel

Lionel Loueke: electric guitar; Massimo Biolcati: bass; Ferenc Nemeth: drums.

Album information

Title: GAïA | Year Released: 2015 | Record Label: Blue Note Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT




Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.