Neba Solo / Benogo Diakite * Djinn And A Hunter Went Walking (The Complete [New CD]

Malian balafon player Neba Solo and donso n'goni player Benego Diakité's A Djinn and a Hunter Went Walking-the first in a series of new releases in collaboration with longtime Nonesuch partner Nick Gold, former head of World Circuit Records-features the leading players of their traditional instruments: the marimba-like balafon, or bala, and donso n'goni, a hunter's harp. On the album, co-produced by Gold, Ousmane Haïdara, and Sonny Johns, the acoustic instrumentals are complemented by vocals and percussion as well as touches of mellotron, guitar, and strings. The CD version includes a second disc of their original duo performances, unadorned, recorded in a Bamako garden under a mango tree. They started after the sun went down, and crickets can be heard chirping during the quiet moments.