LimeWire Music Blog

The background of Gogol Bordello’s Ethiopian bassist Tommy T may only be an undercurrent for that Gypsy-rockin’ band, but it’s given full reign on Tommy’s solo outing, The Prester John Sessions. The name comes from a mythical figure of the Middle Ages, which Tommy uses as a metaphor for his search through his musical roots on this album. That search takes him through Ethiopian folk melodies (updated and given a fresh twist), booming, bottom-heavy dub reggae, and the kind of jazzy, funky sounds that popped up when Ethiopian artists began soaking up the music coming out of the U.S. and U.K. in the ’70s. On a couple of cuts, Ethiopia’s own Gigi — veteran of the World Music scene and collaborator/wife of Bill Laswell — lends her exotic pipes to the swirling, sensual mix of styles, and the Gogol Bordello gang pops up on another. For the most part, though, The Prester John Sessions is an instrumental affair whose insinuating reggae grooves, tasty jazz licks, and churning slices of steamy Ethiopian funk combine for an international experience a lot more resonant and personal than anything you’ll find on some Putumayo mix CD.