Footwork

Difficult-to-imagine blend of Norwegian, African, and African-American folk meshes better than nearly any tri-continent straddle, due to guitarist Reiersud's verve, humor, and willingness to submerge himself in the ideas of his collaborators. And what collaborators they are, including gospel vocalists the Five Blind Boys of Alabama and various Senegambian vocalists, kora players, and percussionists. Unlike most grab-bag collections as varied from cut-to-cut as this, the non-stop experimentation is grounded in an inner calm that grants kindly absolution to such grin-inducing stretches as Knut's vocal rendition of "Baby Please Don't Go" played against the grain of Juldeh Camara's one-string riti fiddle. Maybe recording several cuts in Norwegian churches helped.