Occasionally, a press release comes up with a hook that makes an album a must-hear: “All African, all women, all army” is just such a phrase. For more than 40 years, the female orchestra of the Guinean gendarmerie has been one of the West African nation’s great live attractions, whether in uniform or dressed more casually, yet their discography is pitiful (their previous recordings are 25 years old). With a fantastic horn section, wonderful interlocking guitars and glorious choruses, they go straight for your feet and never surrender, proving a match for most of the (male) big bands who have reaped all the acclaim in the past. Khaki-clad live shows must be a hoot, so let’s hope somebody brings them over.
(Sterns Africa)