Dan Treanor & African Wind

Mercy
Plan-It Prod. PPCD 0015
(2006 – 64:10)

We knew about Dan Treanor thanks to the splendid album he co-signed with Frankie Lee : "African Winds", published by the Northernblues label. Here, Treanor, without Frankie Lee, selfproduces and conducts from A to Z (artwork included) an album by many musicians he's the conductor of. The multi-instrumentists surrounds himself with numerous talents : fifteen plus contributors, lead by a basis composed of she-drummer DJ Mrugala, singer Rex Peoples, bassist Christine Webb and (good) guitarist Randy Mrugala. The idea here is the same as on the record with Frankie Lee (to mix blues with African beats and instruments) and has spread quite a bit since, aside from African influences, Treanor adds those of barrelhouse, rock & roll, folk (listen to the violin tunes), vocals and fife and drums musics. As you might have guessed, what he's into is the "meeting" of popular, ethnics, or roots musics, pick the word that suits you the best. Dan Treanor doesn't suffer from the "white Zulu" syndrom, it is indeed the history of his own country, the United States, he tells. Almost a political committment in George Bush's days ! The music on this CD has nothing to do with a blunt lecture on "the blues roots are in Africa" à la Scorsese : it's alive, colourful, moving. The accent is on the rhythm, and a strong reference to Fred McDowell isn't vain : you'll often find yourself stomping your feet. Of course this album is a self production that could have been more focused : it suffers a little from its very generosity (there's even a bonus track at the end), but all we get is good music. Wish we could see them live !

Eric Doidy in Soul Bag magazine #183 (June 2006) , translated from french by René Malines.