Product Description
“I’m exploring a world that goes from my roots to the lost branches on the other side of the Atlantic. I wanted to set out westward and begin a musical conversation with the best artists, both in Nigeria and the US.”
– Alune Wade
“The blues is the roots, the rest is the fruits,” as Willie Dixon once said. Never truer than for Senegalese bass virtuoso, vocalist and composer Alune Wade, who has dedicated most of his career to nurturing that beautiful and expansive tree. Spanning three decades, six albums, numerous record appearances, and hundreds of shows worldwide, Alune builds rich sonic connection with his roots-based music – from Afrobeat to blues, jazz to juju, R&B to highlife – making for a captivating, uncategorizable sound. Now based in Paris, he regularly plays and collaborates with legends like Bobby McFerrin, Youssou N’Dour, and Bela Fleck as well as 32BB Voices Marcus Miller, Jeremy Pelt, and Gregory Porter.
On his stellar new album, “New African Orleans,” Alune set his sights on The Crescent City, birthplace of jazz and a gumbo pot for so many delicious sounds. Bridging continents, blending musicians, original tunes and classics, he’s managed to cook up a cooker – redefining jazz and blues through an authentically African lens. High points include the brass-forward, NOLA-spirited “Taxi Driver” and “Same Fufu,” and don’t miss his wild and energetic interpretations of Hendrix’s “Voodoo Child,” Hancock’s “Watermelon Man,” and Dr. John’s “Gris-Gris Gumbo Ya Ya.”
