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Majid Bekkas, Nguyên Lê, Hamid Drake: Boom Boom

By Ludovico Granvassu
August 7, 2025
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At a time of daunting provincialism and tribal regression, jazz remains one of the few welcoming oases for the globally minded.

If you're one of then, enjoy this track, feauturing a Moroccan oud and guembri player—and vocalist—

Majid Bekkas

lute

" data-original-title="" title="">Majid Bekkas, a Franco Vietnamese guitarist,

Nguyen Le

guitar, electric
b.1959

" data-original-title="" title="">Nguyen Le, and a living legend of the Chicago scene like drummer

Hamid Drake

drums
b.1955

" data-original-title="" title="">Hamid Drake, playing in Germany—at the Berlin Philarmonie—a cover of

John Lee Hooker

guitar
1917 - 2001

" data-original-title="" title="">John Lee Hooker's "Boom Boom"—just one of the many highlights from their latest album, aptly titled Gnawa World Blues (ACT Music).

Contact Ludovico Granvassu on All About Jazz.
I'm the Editor-in-Chief of All About Jazz Italia, host of Mondo Jazz on Radio Free Brooklyn and was once visited by Frank Zappa's ghost.... he was funny too.

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