“Sometimes you can take the party home with you, and by the sound of it, Baaba Maal’s gig at London’s Royal Festival Hall wasn’t just a helluva party, it was also a great musical event. With a band as tight as any James Brown led, Maal and his ensemble strike irresistible grooves where the percussion percolates hotter than anything Starbucks could brew. On “Koni” master guitarist Ernest Ranglin joins the fray—he made his last album with Maal’s band—and takes it all in a slightly different, but no less wonderful, direction, before Maal himself sweeps back for the epic, explosive finale of “Douwayra.” If you thought soul music was dead, listen to this; it’s the African soul. Once you’ve joined this party, you won’t want it to end.” —Chris Nickson