March 1998

Today Nahawa Doumbia Yankaw Cobalt 09278-2 At home in Mali, she's the Queen of Didadi. This album shows it to the world, yes indeed. Nothing can go wrong when this fabulous trance groove kicks in behind her. Dual balafons and kamelé ngoni blend and weave behind the incomprehensible vocals. No pyrotechnics, just the wind from the desert. I'm quite fond of the women of Wassoulou, and Nahawa Doumbia is today a very fine example. She easily ranks up there with Oumou Sangare and Sali Sidibe. Her mother was right when she, on her death bed, said her daughter was going to be a big song star one day.

Yesterday Tom Waits Swordfishtrombones Island CID 9762 These days Tom Waits lives off the money he got from suing some makers of commercials for impersonating his voice. He got 2.5 million dollars. Back in 1983 I guess he was on a wilder path of life. Personally I remember him for pulling out of a TV gig by getting insanely drunk in Ireland. My band was on the same show and all of a sudden got 15 extra minutes. Thank you, Tom. But he sure made one fine album. Strange but fine. The instrumentation you might call weird but efficient. Start out with In the Neighbourhood and 16 Shells from a 30.6. After that you can go anywhere.