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Various Le Flow: The Definitive French Hip Hop Compilation (Trace/Virgin) Claude Grunitzky, editor of U.K. hip hop magazine Trace, does a great job here. Not only in compiling some of the most important names in French hip hop, but also in providing comprehensive liner notes. As well as explaining the roles of groups like IAM, Ministere Amer, Psykopat, Oxmo Puccino and Arsenik, he provides insight into the different incarnations and significant solo careers that resulted from their success. Reaching everything from Akhenaton to Alliance Ethnik, this is a good start for those who don't know, and some hits for those who do. 8/10 (Scott C) Seal Human Beings (Warner) A dark, brooding, sombre set, Human Beings finds Seal contemplating the human condition. Not one for the straight-ahead pop hook, his music is more like imagery surrounded by sound. As such, listening to Seal is to be always searching for the meaning in the music. Nevertheless, confessions like "When a Man Is Wrong" and "No Easy Way" cut through the layers to reveal the very vulnerable side of this human being. 7/10 (Gerard Dee) Baaba Maal & Mansour Seck Djam Leelii: The Adventurers (Yoff/Palm Pictures/Outside)
New York Ska-Jazz Ensemble Get This! (Moon/Stomp)
Elana Harte Split (Hartfelt Music/Vamp It Up Music)
Guido Basso/Dave Turner Midnight Martini (Justin Time/FusionIII) This is Turner's second outing focusing on the compositions of Montrealers Richard Karmel and Steve Rosenbloom, who wrote all the material here (with the exception of Alan Broadbent's "The Long Goodbye"). The last outing was a duo, this time it's a quintet with Basso in from Toronto and Roddy Elias from Ottawa joining Fraser Hollins and Claude Lavergne. Tasty! 7/10 (Len Dobbin)
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This calls to mind Talking Timbuktu, Ry Cooder and Ali Farka Toure's Afro folk/blues excursion of a couple of years back. This duo, Maal and his childhood pal Seck, also dig up some rural African roots, acoustic guitars being their shovels. Although the sessions on Djam Leelii date back to '85, Maal chose them to introduce his new label, Yoff. A good call... the hypnotic, bluesy warmth of theses spare sketches is complementary to the usual busy flash of Afro-pop. 7.5/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
The Ensemble stride competently and confidently between the "ska" and the "jazz" of their tag... for starters. They also dabble in the reggaefication of soul classics (Don Covay's "See Saw"), jazz standards (Duke's "Mood Indigo") and Latin fiesta-phonics ("Morningside," an original). Culled from the ranks of NYC's nü-ska heavy hitters, the lineup includes Victor Rice, who doubles up his duties on the bass and behind the board. An absolute pleasure from end to end. 8/10 (Rupert Bottenberg)
Montreal singer-songwriter continues her fine workmanship her second album. Joined by locals John McGale, Ray Bonneville and others, Harte's guitar-driven, roots rock songs about love lost and gained won't bowl anyone over with their eloquence, but they're great to listen to over a beer or four. 7.5/10 (Michel Thibodeau) At Cafe So, Monday, November 23, 9pm