By the mid-'90s, Malian guitarist
Ali Farka Toure
was expanding his signature acoustic African blues by changing his instrumental palette and collaborating with Western musicians like
Ry Cooder
(as on 1994's
Talkin' Timbuktu
). While
Toure
gained prominence during this period, many die-hard fans tout the artist's earliest work as his strongest. The double-disc set
Red & Green
brings together two albums originally released by the French label
Sonodisc
between the mid- and late '80s. The original vinyl versions were long out of print and difficult to find, until their issue here on Nonesuch. Both albums are entirely acoustic (
didn't introduce an electric guitar until 1991's
The Source
), with minimal accompaniment on calabash and ngoni (a traditional four-string guitar), which perfectly complements
's percussive guitar style and plaintive, keening vocals. The music bears a striking resemblance to the modal blues of American artists like
Son House
and
John Lee Hooker
, yet it is deeply West African, with scales and motivic flourishes indigenous to the culture, and lyrical themes that reflect
's life in rural Mali.
is a must for
fans: a blissful, early dose of this singular artist's superb music.