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Concert Review
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The Gazette, Concert Review >>
I've been waiting all week for this concert.
Last week I was given a copy of Tell No Lies, the second collaborative album by British blues guitarist Justin Adams and Gambian musician Juldeh Camara. Bottom line: it blew me away, and I've had this night circled in my calendar ever since.
Justin and Juldeh play a kind of musical fusion that most artists can only dream about. They have so perfectly combined American blues with West African music that it's hard to believe these two genres weren't always meant to exist in this form. And at their Friday night concert at the Montreal International Jazz Festival, they proved this fact to the entire audience.
Despite being tucked away on the somewhat secluded Bell stage, these guys still managed to draw an enormous crowd of uninhibited dancers. Accompanied only by a percussionist, the duo - with Adams on electric guitar and Camara playing primarily the ritti, a one-stringed African fiddle - played through songs from Tell No Lies as well as oldies from their first album.
As a fan of their new record, I can safely say that these guys did not disappoint. Their energy was absolutely infectious, their performance honest and beautiful. Immediately clear is the bond between these two musicians: two men from vastly different backgrounds playing together like kindred spirits.
Near the end of this beautiful concert, Adams made a confession: "Tonight is the first time Juldeh and I have played on this side of the Atlantic!" The crowd roared with applause, and all I could think was "please come back soon."
07/10/09 >> go there
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