Spices

by Ron WynnGuitarist Pierre Bensusan's fifth album on the Dadgad label continued his expansion into brisker, more adventurous music. While there were still laid-back, impressionistic and light songs, Bensusan played with more intensity, stretching out on guitar and going beyond restating the melody and adding teasing, nimble voicings. On "Presqu'ile," "Les Voiles Catalanes" and "Montsegur," his riffs had bite and edge. Where most of his other albums were almost totally atmospheric, with rhythm either implied or almost missing, this CD had a pronounced Afro-Latin and African tinge at times, due to percussionist Denis Benharrosh. This was Bensusan's most effective and complete album among the five available on Rounder.