Daktaris

The Daktaris take African rhythms and 1960s Funk and mash them into a sound that bubbles with percussion as syncopated as a drummers' orchestra. The mad polyrhythms will take you out of your seat to dance, but once you get up you'll realize you're not sure which beat you came for. Let the music take you where it will. Growling bursts of baritone sax, clarinet and flute unite on skin-tight rhythmic melodies that interlock with succinct, pulsing offbeat basslines. The wah-wahed and muted staccato guitar riffs sound like a mix between '60s R&B and an exacting reggae band. The band makes no attempt to hide the influence of Fela "Ransome" Kuti on these tracks -- in fact they gratefully dedicate their music to the Afro-Funk godfather. That must make James Brown their great-godfather, in a long line of rich Soul.