Album Review by Dawoud Kringle
Artist: Banning Eyre
Title: Bare Songs Vol. 1
Format: CD
Label: Lion Songs Records
Genre: African guitar music
Buy CD here: https://didier-garcia-x6sp.squarespace.com/store/bare-songs-vol-1
Banning Eyre requires no introduction for those of you who are regular readers of doobeedoobeedoo.info and members or friends of MFM.
In addition to being a professional musician since the 70s, he has worked as a writer, producer, and photographer. He has experience with jazz, flamenco, dance-rock, and reggae, and for the last twenty-five years, he has specialized in guitar styles from Africa. He has played with Thomas Mapfumo, Rumbafrica, Kolo Mboka, Sankai, Abdoulaye Diabate, The Super Rail Band of Bamako, Djelumady Tounkar, Abdoulaye Alhassane Toure, Taj Mahal, and many others.
His music projects include Timbila and The Voyagers. His discography is impressive, and in addition to many self-produced albums and appearances as a guest musician, he played on a track on Taj Mahal and Toumani Diabate’s Kulanjan, which was voted Folk Roots “Album of the Year” in the UK and cited by President Barack Obama as one of his favorite records. He produced the Peabody Award-winning public radio show Afropop Worldwide and contributed to NPR’s All Things Considered, Guitar Player, The Boston Phoenix, Global Rhythm, and many others.
He and Sean Barlow co-authored AFROPOP! An Illustrated Guide to Contemporary African Music authored In Griot Time, The American Guitarist in Mali. He wrote Playing With Fire, Fear, and Censorship in Zimbabwean Music as a report for Freemuse, the Danish human rights organization. As if that’s not enough, Eyre is also the founder of his record label Lion Songs Records.
His most recent release, Bare Songs Vol. 1, is a collection of acoustic guitar pieces.
On “15 Rounds and No Decision,” Eyre’s guitar introduces (or perhaps invokes a more accurate adjective) a major pentatonic framework. Flirting with the blues, the piece evolves into marvelous sonic arabesques. Harmonies and occasional mandolin interjections appear and disappear, enhancing the main guitar’s statements. The overall effect is gentle and inviting, sharply contrasting the boxing reference the title suggests.
“First Light” follows a similar tone as the opening track. However, here, the music presents a more somber tone. There is an indefinable mood reminiscent of Django Reinhardt’s more contemplative improvisations.
A country blues-like introduction opens the way for the festivity of the “4th of July Follies.” Listening to the playful dance of guitars, one hears a sublime and seamless blend of African and American musical styles.
As the album progresses, we are treated to a cohesive yet varied display of the product of decades of experience. On tracks like “Antananarivo” and “Portal 7,” Eyre resurrects the ghosts of acoustic virtuosos such as Bert Jansch and Leo Kottke. Without a shred of confrontational braggadocio, he establishes his place among them. “Fight or Flight” is a joyful romp through Eyre’s obvious African influences while still drawing upon his American roots. On this, one hears what may be a kalimba or mbira, but it is treated more as an optional seasoning than an integral ingredient. “Old Time” is when we were transported to vintage America. On tracks such as “Djelimady,” “Lamban,” and “Faku Hiva,” we are shown an unapologetic display of the complex intricacies of African music and the breathtaking imagery it invokes.
On the Lion Songs Records website, Eyre described the music on this album as “[distilled] over 50 years of folk, blues and rock roots, long-lost classical and jazz training, and decades of immersion in African fingerstyle guitar traditions.” This is an accurate assessment. With Eyre’s reputation, defining this album in terms of his African guitar style is tempting. Yet it’s often impossible to pinpoint which of Eyre’s many stylistic roots he draws from at any moment. And we shouldn’t attempt to do this, as it ultimately distracts from his guitar work’s intimate beauty and poetry.
The listener should sit back, listen, and allow Eyre to work his magic. He knows what he’s doing.
