James Asher Tour of the USA 2001

Master Drummer Abdoul Doumbia & New Earth Records

From Seattle we flew to Denver, and then were collected for Boulder, Colorado. Having been here a few times before, there were many friends and contacts to visit. Unfortunately during the stay it was Celia's turn to become unwell, and she spent most of this leg of the trip, resting and recuperating from an evil 'flu. We were hosted by my good friend Allan Kaplan, who kindly drove us around many different spots in Boulder in a fast-moving magic bus ride of varied adventure. He also hosted a special arrival dinner for us at a local restaurant hotspot, and the warmth of his welcome was very engaging.

Allan had set up for us to meet the master drummer Abdoul Doumbia from Mali, who is now resident in Boulder. We enjoyed a lunch with him and his friend Karen Marx, herself an excellent drummer and marimba player.

That evening we saw Abdoul give a performance at a community hall with a group of seven players, where the bubbling energy of his playing was just remarkable. Capturing this both on DVCAM and minidisc was a double triumph too, and with acoustics of the hall being more contained than in some of the larger venues we visited, the sound was more potent and present.

The vibrance of his playing was amazing, and I felt honoured to experience the sparkle of this brilliant performance. Abdoul radiates a natural charm and has a very warm and outgoing personality. I felt excited at the prospect of a future collaboration with him on a CD project, which we discussed and about which we are both enthusiastic.

On from Boulder to Santa Fe, New Mexico to visit our friends Bhikkhu and Waduda, owners of the record label New Earth Records. They enjoy an extraordinary location in what feels like huge enchanted desert regions near Santa Fe. Their building is really two in one.

A large TV studio at the front has been converted to provide them with a wonderfully spacious split level open-plan office, decorated with great taste and style, creating a very pleasant working environment.

Adjoining this through a very elegant hallway, bedecked with copious leafy plants, a delightful house, benefiting from great vista views across the desert expanse, and further enhanced by the fabulous sunsets to be seen here, some of which I captured on camera. Bhikkhu and Waduda were very hospitable, and showed us around the local town parts of Santa Fe and gave us a taste of the striking 'adobe' architecture predominant in the area. We got a good feel for how Santa Fe has an unusual blend of Spanish / Mexican and American influences. Of course America generally encompasses a wealth of cosmopolitan aspects in itself.