Transcender

This was billed as the first night of ‘Transcender’, a collection of gigs featuring music of trance and mystery – we certainly got that here!

JuJu is essentially Justin Adams, guitarist extraordinaire, with Juldeh Camara, a Griot exemplar of the ritti (one stringed African violin) and the talking drum. They were backed up by Dave Smith on drums and percussion and Billy Fuller on bass.

I have been trying to get to see them ever since I saw their wonderful set at the Bishopstock Blues festival a number of years ago but I have missed them or been unwell every time they have played London and my personal sense of anticipation was sky-high; now that I’ve seen them I have to say that the anticipation of their next gig – possibly in Bangor – is even higher.
Juldeh is a marvel. He sings with intensity and passion and his ritti playing is as good as any folk violinist I have ever seen live. Justin Adams is one of few guitarists who can really make music across many genres and he uses his skills as a rock guitarist, Blues and ‘ethnic’ equally. The mutual respect between them is wonderful to watch and it leads to jamming with a mesmeric passion and some marvellous guile as Camara seems to lead Adams down one path only to throw him the steepest of musical curve balls. ‘Sahara’ was a particular joy, complex and swirling but the real highlight – for me – was the trance jams that they seemed to love playing.
Dave Smith and Billy Fuller aren’t exactly wallpaper in this band either – Smith’s drumming was a crucial part of the music and Fuller is one of the able bass players around – together they are almost invisible until you realise that they have been the bedrock that allows the main instruments to fly.

I have to say a word for the support.
Bombino is a young Tuareg guitarist and singer, in the same sort of style as Tamikrest and Tinariwen, but with a unique a keening voice that strikes deep into the heart as he sings of his lost homeland of Niger. I have heard him on record and thoroughly enjoyed him but live he was a revelation. He played an hour but it flew by in a flash and I could happily have listened to him for much longer. Hopefully he will be appearing here again soon.