A guitarist, a singer. Two boys in a cloud of folk-blues gunsmoke. Mathieu Sourisseau has left the amplified bass he favors for Facteur Sauvage or the trio in which he plays alongside Etenesh Wassié. Mike Ladd has moved away from his seminal contribution as the enfant terrible of spoken word. As Reverse Winchester, they step far off the beaten track and borrow from blues and improvised music. The amplified acoustic guitar subtly sketches out deeply moving soundscapes, through which the singer strolls, flirting with intimacy, opening up on issues such as lost love, his North Carolina grandmother, and a few crazy days in the Bronx and in Paris. On their debut LP (Newburn, 2019), one of the tracks ended with a beautiful battered confession, which perfectly encapsulates the essence of their music: “We not alright but we doing fine”.

Album release September 27, 2019, « Newburn » (Mr Morezon)

Paul Robeson had more than one hat. An athlete and an actor, he was also a key figure of the Harlem Renaissance – an outstanding speaker. A Black giant. Keenly public-spirited and politically aware, he could equally sing, in his even, deep bass-baritone, Ol' Man River or the USSR national anthem. A deeply committed activist championing a pacified world, his recordings have chronicled a good part of the 20th century. In the turmoils of the 21st century, Eric Bibb plays a similar role. With Here I Stand, the guitarist – Robeson's godson – pays him a tribute, rearranging traditional spirituals such as “Go Down, Moses” or “Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child”. Bibb has thus carried into our times Robeson's contribution to the ethics of world culture and his universal message.

Brought to us by Raùl Mora (éditions Otium)