The lead guitarist of Mali"s renowned Super Rail Band and the central character of the book In Griot Time finally gets a chance to step into the spotlight. It has taken more than 30 years for Djelimady Tounkara to make a solo album, but the long wait is worthwhile. Mixing some of the best Rail Band material (and musicians) with traditional pieces, Tounkara comes up with an acoustic gem of a record in which his guitar lines flow like a waterfall in and out of the songs while filigrees push things forward. Throughout, he offers plenty of space to the other musicians, especially Sayon Sissoko and his sparking ngoni (an ancestor of the banjo). But on both "Djoura" and "Samakoun," he allows himself center stage, and the staggering breadth of his talent becomes truly apparent. While African, he"s taken music from all over and integrated it seamlessly into his playing, which shows hints of jazz, blues, and even folk in his picking styles. Tounkara"s brilliance has been apparent for decades; with this record his position as one of the world"s greatest guitarists becomes undeniable. --Chris Nickson