B-Tribe 5 (B-Tribe)

B-Tribe: The Brave. Additional personnel: Luna (vocals); Paco Fernandez (guitar); Eric Plummetaz (cello). Indispensable global fusion music from Claus Zundel (AKA "The Brave"), this fifth outing (hence the title) finds the reclusive Spanish wizard stepping back and letting the virtuosic flamenco guitar of fellow Ibiza resident Paco Fernandez take center stage. Also on board is the African singer Luna Mohamed, who lends exotic vocal caresses to several tracks, and the mournful cello of Eric Plummetaz. As with previous B-Tribe work, the songs flow seamlessly together in a delirious blend of Gypsy camp romance and chill-out electronica. The centerpiece here is the haunting "Ode to Dolores Del Rio" which opens with a thunderously distorted bass string rumble before contrasting melancholy passages of wooden flute with effect-laden guitar and gentle chimes. "Anika" and "Angelic Voices" both benefit from Mohamed's crystal clear vocal improvisations, which contrast with the group's trademark male Gypsy wailings. While the first B-Tribe albums were dance beat-intensive, and the third and fourth more sultry and exotic, this entry transcends all boundaries, with the Brave clearly unafraid to push the envelope into dreamtime and beyond, touching on jazz, classical, and even experimental ambience.