Gaïa (album)

Gaïa
Studio album by
Lionel Loueke
Released30 October 2015
Recorded2015
StudioSear Sound
GenreJazz
Length55:40
LabelBlue Note 0602547423801
ProducerDon Was
Lionel Loueke chronology
Heritage
(2012) 		Gaïa
(2015) 		Hope
(2017)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
All About Jazz[1]
AllMusic[2]
Creative Loafing[3]
Financial Times[4]
The Guardian[5]
Jazzwise[6]
Tom HullB+()[7]

Gaïa is a studio album by Beninese guitarist Lionel Loueke recorded with Massimo Biolcati on bass and Ferenc Nemeth on drums.[8][9] Blue Note released the album on 30 October 2015.[10]

Background

Gaïa was recorded live at Sear Sound and produced by Blue Note Records president Don Was. The album is named after Gaia, the mother of the Earth in Greek mythology, and contains 12 tracks, of which 11 are original compositions. Loueke suggests that the godess is furious because humanity has ruined the natural world it originally encountered in order to build industrial societies. In his view, climate change now dominates contemporary social worries, yet the ecological message that he sends is not easily discernible just from listening to the album.[11][5]

Reception

Thom Jurek of AllMusic stated: "These trio members need no collaborators, extra production, or overdubs; they can -- and do -- deliver almost endless variations on all the stylistic genres they choose. The kinetic energy and obvious delight expressed by these players in such intimate and idea-rich conversation make Gaïa Loueke's most satisfying release to date."[2] John Fordham of The Guardian wrote: "The band switch between Hendrix-like wails, kora-like chimes and power-trio rock in a blink, and the songs are consistently strong... The trio sound like a jam-band here, but one with a unique, accessible, exciting and still-evolving identity."[5] Nate Chinen of The New York Times added: "Subtlety has always been a hallmark of this band, and, in some respects, “Gaïa” — full of tripwire rhythmic intricacies that register as casual, even natural — underscores that strength."[12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Lionel Loueke except track 12 written by Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb, Robin Gibb.

No.TitleLength
1."Broken"2:44
2."Sleepless Night"5:51
3."Sources of Love"4:31
4."Wacko Loco"3:42
5."Aziza Dance"5:16
6."Rain Wash"4:29
7."Forgiveness"7:06
8."Even Teens"4:01
9."Gaïa"3:46
10."Veuve Malienne"6:30
11."Procession"3:19
12."How Deep Is Your Love"4:21
Total length:55:40

Personnel

References

  1. ^ Turner, Mark F. (25 October 2015). "Lionel Loueke: GAïA album review @ All About Jazz". All About Jazz. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  2. ^ a b Jurek, Thom. "Gaïa - Lionel Loueke | Album | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  3. ^ Snider, Eric (6 November 2015). "Album review: Lionel Loueke, Gaïa". Creative Loafing Tampa. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  4. ^ Hobart, Mike (6 November 2015). "Lionel Loueke: Gaïa — review". Financial Times. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Fordham, John (29 October 2015). "Lionel Loueke: Gaia review – world, jazz and rock blended seamlessly". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  6. ^ Le Gendre, Kevin (2015). "Lionel Loueke: Gaia". Jazzwise. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  7. ^ "Tom Hull: Grade List: Lionel Loueke". Tom Hull. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  8. ^ Joyce, Mike (7 January 2016). "Lionel Loueke mixes world beats with complex, soulful jazz". The Washington Post. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  9. ^ "Lionel Loueke Trio". The New Yorker. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  10. ^ Beuttler, Bill (3 July 2024). "Lionel Loueke: GAIA". JazzTimes. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
  11. ^ Alzuphar, Adolf (19 August 2024). "Lionel Loueke: Gaïa | The Brooklyn Rail". The Brooklyn Rail. Retrieved 14 December 2025.
  12. ^ Chinen, Nate (4 November 2015). "Review: Lionel Loueke's Sinuous Serenity (Published 2015)". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 December 2025.
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