Review: Aid Box Community Benefit, Friendly Records – ‘The music to support this vital work is a happy collision of cultures’

Tonight’s show at Friendly Records is a benefit for the North Bristol based Aid Box Community charity who are doing wonderful things in a torrid climate. They welcome and uphold the basic rights of refugees and people seeking asylum in Bristol. The event is to heighten awareness of their work and to raise some much needed funds. Friendly Record’s owner, Benny, who works tirelessly to organise these evenings, has this project close to his heart and adds some moving words to kick things off.

First onto Friendly’s intimate space are Nabra. The Oud is an ancient ancestor of the guitar and Ali Elmubarak and Knud Stüwe have bought a pair of them along. In keeping with the spirit of the evening they first started playing together through a Bristol Refugee Rights initiative. Their music is from Ali’s native Sudan with other Middle Eastern flavours added. They are led by Ali’s distinctive crooning vocals with some delightful interplay between the Ouds providing the perfect, and occasionally improvisational, backdrop.

Tonight’s headliner is a new project between Justin Adams and Mohamed Errebbaa. Fresh from Adams’ joyous recent Wardrobe Theatre gig with Mauro Durante, it’s great to have his guitar back again after the lockdown enforced lay off. Justin requires little introduction as a contributor to global crossover success with Robert Plant and Jah Wobble. Bristol based Mohammed is a master of Gnawa music originally from Rabat, Morocco. The music connects elements of the Arab music of the North with the music of Sub-Saharan Africa and Sufi mysticism.

Adam’s clearly has a deep understanding and appreciation of this music and they find real joy in their collaboration. Multiple approving glances are shared as they enjoy each other’s consummate musicianship. His fluid, blues drenched guitar grooves sit happily with the bass from Errebbaa’s Guembri. The collaboration is led by the Gnawa music with Errebbaa providing the initial vocal lead with some call and response support from his collaborator.

The Gnawa grooves are complemented by a couple of dips back into Adam’s back catalogue. Still Moving the title track from his recent project with Durante is perfect material with its tale of immigration across stormy seas. Dark Sea from his first solo album has a similar theme.  They look back into the Americana songbook for a slow blues take on the old African/American spiritual Wayfaring Stranger, Errebaa’s textures bring a whole new setting to a familiar tune.

The Sudanese music duo, Nabra, started the night. Credit: Martin Siddorn

A tune translated as Child of Light is a hypnotic groove drawn from the trance of a Moroccan healing ceremony. Adam’s wah-wah pedal provides a heavy psychedelic boogie at the conclusion – the slightly hot and bothered crowd love them. Cheering them home as an Adams led blues straight out of 50s Chicago leads into an altogether more unfamiliar but no less transcendent Moroccan shuffle as an end.

Friendly Records are making a wonderful habit of these lovely chamber global and jazz evenings. There’s some great intimate, organic music from all over the place to be had on North Street these days.

Main photo: Martin Siddorn

Read more: Review: Justin Adams & Mauro Duante, The Wardrobe Theatre – ‘A nod to Southern gospel is thrown into the musical soup as the groove reaches its heady climax’

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