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Well, this albWell, this album is a bit like listening to Charlie Gillett on the radio as it’s a mix of reggae, dub, jazz - sort of like an Ethiopian version of Fat Freddy’s Drop or Dub Colossus - or as their PR say, “imagine Herbier Hancock’s Headhunters jamming with Mulatu Astake”. Surely, nothing could be that good? And this album isn’t that good as that would be the “110 ” so as that’s impossible, the mere 100 perfect will have to do.

The best tracks are the Mali blues of ‘The Response’ (that follows a track called ‘The Call’ - did you see what they did there?) and the jazzy-dub of ‘Eden’ that both feature the vocals of Gigi (Palm Pictures) if you’re from a ‘world’ point of view or not (and special mention required for the the trumpet of DeAndre Shaifer that dominates ‘Eden’ - as cool as Roy Hargrove!).

That said, if you’re a Headhunter type, ‘The Eight Wonder’ comes close in a World-dub bass-bin-head sense (fantastic drums, sax and flute going on at the same time).

Whilst Tommy T Gobena is the bassist in Gogol Bordello (and Eugene Hutz makes the inevitable star/guest appearance) this album is much more of a tribute to the roots of dub - as in ‘Oromo Dub’. From the sleeve notes I see that ‘The Oromo’ are the largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and Abdi Nuressa sings two traditional song a backing track as hard as King Tubby or Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry, you’d swear it was recorded in JA!

Not only that, we learn the Tommy T was born and raised in Addis Abada - you can hear the contrasts on ‘East-West Express’ and that’s a proper jazz-world tune; big up!

And whilst at it, ‘Tribute To A King’ sounds like Jerry Dammers meets Mulatu (and that’s not a slur in our book as said Jerry Dammers a big fan of Sun Ra - check the Jerry Dammers’ Spatial A.K.A Orchestra I’m going to see him for sure; especially as I missed last year’s 30th Anniversary Tour - too much, too young), Adu provides the African congas and Tommy T shows that he can play a mean ‘Jackie Mittoo’ organ that gets a heavy horned jazz-ska- world trip.

‘Beyond Falisadas’ sounds a bit ‘modern’ in comparison to the rest of the album but there there’s a killer jazz-sax-blues track, ‘September Blues’ that’s pure class with the vinyl scratch efx that you feel is just right.

Michael G gets the remix of ‘Lifer’ and as this album is out on Easy Star Records, this is the only track (as it’s the Hutz one) that is anywhere close to the Easy Star All-Stars back catalogue as in Dub Side Of The Moon, Radiodread or their latest, Lonely Hearts Dub Band; but well played to them as this is right up our street..

So what’s the Prester John bit all about? Apparently he was a ‘Christian King’ that spread the word in Ethiopia during the middle ages, that’s the short history lesson, the The Prester John Sessions are far more now and far more relevant; an excellent ‘companion’ release to Bibi Tanga & The Selenites’ Dunya and I expect both to be in all of the World ‘Beat Of ’ lists by the end of the year.

P.S. If they’re planning a remix album, please can we have a better cover?

Reviewed: Tommy T - The Prester John Sessions (Easy Star Records) Cat. No. ES-1021 Release date: 25th January 2010
Tracklisting:
1. Brothers (5:03)
2. The Call (4:05)
3. The Response feat. Gigi (4:43)
4. The Eighth Wonder (6:53)
5. Oromo Dub (Cushic Dub) (4:35)
6. East-West Express (4:22)
7. Tribute To A King (4:11)
8. Beyond Falisadas (3:17)
9. September Blues (3:30)
10. Eden fat. Gigi (5:53)
11. Lifers feat. Eugene Hutz and Pedro Erazo (Michael G Easy Star Remix) (4:35)

Links:
www.tommytmusic.com
www.myspace.com/tommytmusic
www.myspace.com/easystar
www.easystar.com
Twitter - tommytbass
MetroLife Monday, 25th January Immodesty Blaize’s 6 track mix On My iPod>/em>
Barry Adamson - ‘The Man With The Golden Arm’
Dub Colossus - ‘Azmari Dub’
Gwen Guthrie - ‘Seventh Heaven (Larry Lavan Remix)
Cerrone - Supernature
7th Sunday 7 March 2010 at 7:30pm
Jerry Dammers’ Spatial A.K.A Orchestra
Jerry Dammers, Denys Baptiste, Anthony Joseph, Zoe Rahman, Jason Yarde, Larry Stabbins and Francine Luce Poole Lighthouse, 21 Kingland Rd, Poole BH15 1UG Web: www.lighthousepoole.co.uk
um is a bit like listening to Charlie Gillett on the radio as it’s a mix of reggae, dub, jazz - sort of like an Ethiopian version of Fat Freddy’s Drop or Dub Colossus - or as the press would say, “imagine Herbier Hancock’s Headhunters jamming with Mulatu Astake”. Surely, nothing could be that good? And this album isn’t that good as that would be the “110 ” so as that’s impossible, the mere 100 perfect will have to do.