Like a mystic traveler searching for the legendary king Prester John, the Sessions track list wanders pretty widely through Ethiopian culture, resulting in sounds that range from funky dub reggae to more traditional instrumentals.

Prester John is really a tribute album to the varied history of Ethiopian music, beginning with the rich album art and details of the Prester John story and liner notes describing the roots of each track. Tommy explains, “The Prester John Sessions will give people an idea about the musical diversity of Ethiopia, which includes influences and ideas borrowed from the sounds of the 70′s with the added bonus of up-to-date production values … In the 70s, funk, wah-wah pedals, and jazz had a huge impact on Ethiopian music.”

Tommy wrote, arranged, and played bass and other instruments throughout The Prester John Sessions, which also include his debut vocal recordings. Tommy is backed by The Abyssinian Roots Collective on the album. “They are sometimes known as The ARC, which coincidentally ties into the Ark of the Covenant and the Prester John story,” says Tommy. Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave, Gogol Bordello) handled production for most of the album.

The Prester John Sessions album review

Last week I was lucky to receive a review copy of The Prester John Sessions and haven’t stop listening to Tommy T’s funky Ethiopian dub since then.

It should come as no surprise that a bassist’s solo debut is an album that rewards a good sound system. Tommy’s compositions work all the scales, with solid bass textures punctuated by sharp brass and minor-key instrumentals that create an aural experience as rich as a mythic medieval king’s tapestries. The standout tracks really perk ears and bob heads, attracting jaded jam banders and exploratory dubbers alike. Tommy T’s live show (tour dates here) is no doubt a foot stomping body shaking affair.

The Prester John Sessions 11-song track listing includes improvisational jams on melodies from traditional Ethopian folk music as well as original compositions based on “a 6/8 beat called chikchika” that typifies popular Ethopian music, according to Tommy T.

The album opens with all guns blazing on Brothers, an easy funk melody that dives right into layered instrumentals and sets a kind of vibrant overture melody for Tommy and his artists to jam on. Tommy then settles into a groove with The Call, a meditative track with friendly, confident vocals, simple skank guitars, and brassy counterpoints. It’s another great tune to hear in a live venue, when the musicians will have room to really jam on it.

Tommy gets more traditional with The Response, which introduces Gigi for the first time on the album, accompanied by a folksy Ethiopian guitar and a melody that’s reminiscent of Ali Farka Toure.

The Eighth Wonder is one of the first standout tracks on a generally strong album. The brass is more present on this funky jazz melody, balanced by the powerful voices of traditional Ethiopian instruments. Tommy doesn’t bother with vocals in this composition, letting the rolling, interlocking melodies speak for themselves as various instruments rotate through center stage.

Tommy keeps the heat on with Oromo Dub (Cushitic Dub), a straight-up dub anthem that starts with a basic melody and builds quickly. This one will be another crowd pleaser at live shows, as will East-West Express, which starts with a smooth jazz call and layers on additional instruments with a languid power.

Tribute To A King is a personal favorite on the album: dense dub with brass so strong it questions the boundaries of reggae before sonorous folk instrumentation and dub effects lure the listener away on a mental journey of clashing guitars and tripping high hats.

Beyond Fasiladas returns to the overture with a summertime rhythm’s running beat and clean dub effects that create an ambient dub backdrop while keeping the focus on the instrumentation (Tommy’s bass is a clear heartbeat, never far from the surface).

The next 2 tracks, September Blues and Eden are closer to jazz than reggae or funk. Great stuff but not really my cup of tea. Gigi returns on Eden for a smooth production that sounds like the last track you put on before a lover takes everything off.

Tommy won’t let anyone walk away from his album when they could be dancing, hands in the air. He closes out with Michael Goldwasser‘s Easy Star remix, the body-moving Lifers. Gogol Bordello frontman Eugene Hutz plays Ras Dracula, lending his powerful vocals alongside Pedro Erazo on a track that starts with Michael G’s signature crisp dubs and then breaks out into a dancehall-inspired party.

The Prester John Sessions album tracks

Here’s the full track list:

1. Brothers
2. The Call
3. The Response (featuring Gigi)
4. The Eighth Wonder
5. Oromo Dub (Cushitic Dub)
6. East-West Express
7. Tribute To A King
8. Beyond Fasiladas
9. September Blues
10. Eden (featuring Gigi)
11. Lifers (Michael G Easy Star Remix featuring Eugene Hutz and Pedro Erazo)

About Tommy T

Tommy demonstrates his musical chops and Ethiopian heritage throughout the album. Born Thomas Gobena in Ethopia and raised in Addis Ababa, in 2006 Tommy became the bassist for Gogol Bordello, the gypsy punk band that build a fan following on their ability to blend global influences, dub sounds, and energetic stage shows.

“I believe in music without boundaries,” Tommy says. “Music should be inclusive, not exclusive. People who love music know the best music is created without boundaries and limitations. The Prester John Sessions take that idea to the next level.”

About Easy Star Records

The album was released by Easy Star Records, which has been reinvigorating the reggae scene with new indie recordings and rereleases of classic reggae recordings from Jamaican artists. Easy Star is perhaps best known for their dub reimaginings of classic rock albums by the Easy Star All-Stars, including 2003′s hit Dub Side of the Moon, the 2006 release of Radiodread (a personal favorite), and most recently Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band in 2009 (which I’ve reviewed in greater detail here). Easy Star is also releasing albums by John Brown’s Body, Ticklah, The Black Seeds, The Meditations, and Sugar Minott.

“We are extremely excited to be working with Tommy,” says Easy Star co-founder Lem Oppenheimer. “He’s made an incredible record. The way he integrates reggae and dub into Ethiopian music fits right into what we have been releasing for the past decade – music that expands on a reggae foundation, taking the genre in new directions.”

Buy The Prester John Sesssions from Easy Star Records and tell them we sent you!

More links to Tommy T and The Prester John Sessions

Looking for more information about Tommy T and The Prester John Sessions? Check out these links:

• Buy the album and download a free track
• Tommy T on Myspace
• Follow Tommy T on Twitter
• Tommy T’s Facebook Fan Site
• Easy Star Records
• Tommy T’s fan site

(Also, if anyone has more information about The Abyssinian Roots Collective, please let me know – I’d like to link to them but I couldn’t find anything online.)

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