In the sixties and seventies, Nonesuch Records' Explorer Series released some of the most satisfying field recordings of primitive (and not so primitive) world music. While some titles have been reissued on CD previously, Nonesuch has launched an initiative to get them all in print, and the first wave is the African titles, including this inexpensive sampler. It's a great starting point, and works well as a collection in its own right. Drums, primitive string instruments, vocals, even a chorus of sixty single-note horns (!) -- the sampler is a great listen. Beyond that, CDs containing East African Witchcraft and ritual music and West African drum and instrumental music are definite highlights. Based on the sampler, I'd say the CDs that feature the mbira, a beautiful marimba-sounding thumb piano, are also money well spent. And coming in early 2003: the Indonesian titles, including the classic disc of Balinese Gamelan, Music From The Morning of the World.

--Dugan Trodglen