ALBUM DESCRIPTION

**ABOUT THE ALBUM / ARTIST**

On "Coffee With Lazarus," Ben has once again produced an album full of superb songs penned straight from the heart. Okafor, who began recording in 1985, has released five recordings to date; "Children of the World," "Down Pressor Man," "Nkiru," "Generation," and the long awaited "Coffee With Lazarus."

It's been eight years since this Nigerian born artist has blessed us with a new album, so it isn't surprising that he chose to use the name "Lazarus" in the title. Recorded in New York after a long intermission, it almost feels like Ben himself has come back from the dead.

I've always enjoyed his music and appreciated his skills as a performer, songwriter and poet on previous releases, but this recording far surpasses his earlier works. Okafor has finally delivered an album that completely captures his wide array of talents. His golden voice is full of emotion and the production is top notch, creating a roots reggae album full of meditative mood-music.

Ben is certainly the best known Christian reggae vocalist active in the UK today. Widely acclaimed in the mainstream media, this project is a real tour de force. Performed in Ben's unique style--a reggae foundation with a dash of African, world-beat and folk, the project so impressed the secular Jet Star Distribution team (the UK's largest specialist reggae/world music distributor), that it led them to sign a deal his label. Allowing his musical fruit to ripen, this long recess brought an unprecedented harvest of vocal and lyrical maturity.

**SONG BY SONG DESCRIPTION**

At the top of the album we enter into the "Palace," with an ethereal "Seal"-like intro that transforms into a reggae-rockers groove with an infectious bass-line. It is clear that Ben's voice has aged like a fine wine. This vintage is sweet in taste and crisp in sound--long worth the eight year wait. In his conscious lyrics he asks the world "where has your love gone?" This memorable opening track is a heartfelt cry for justice, inciting a revolution to stop the silent suffering.

After a brief pause, the bubbling "Help Me" steps into a four-on-the-floor reggae rhythm. Over the shuffling beats, Ben wails this love-sick request for assistance after a wounding break-up. Anyone who has ever ended a relationship with someone they love can relate with the painful emotions that Okafor engraves in this recording. Some of the dejected lyrics include; "You say I mistreated you and made you feel a fool... But whilst you shot at my head I was doing the best I could," and "I don't know where my feet meet the ground, 'cause your little finger has me spinning round and around."

Ben's acoustic guitar strumming is accompanied by bluesy electric guitar licks in the vein of Chris Isaacs on the pop reggae hybrid "(If You Could) See Me Now." Taking the tack to another plateau on the bridge, this touching song is also about loss--but this time touching on the fragility of life and the sorrow for a loved one that has passed. The remorseful lyrics are obviously about someone very close to Ben--he is singing from painful experience. But there is hope with the poetic; "One day I know I'll see you again, I don't know when, I don't know how..."

In a retro-reggae vein, we delve into the old-school "Deep Love," a relaxed, yet passionate track. Ben is vulnerable before the microphone while the mood is enhanced by ethereal female background vocals and futuristic cyber-dub effects.

Still-vibrant, on the next song "New Sun," this U.K.-based multi-instrumentalist is a buoy floating on the surface of this contagious roots/dub-reggae track--similar to something off of Sade's latest release "Lovers Rock."

The finely rendered track 6 follows, containing vocal loops reminiscent of African songstress, "Zap Mama" over a sluggish roots crawler. The poignant message of "Give Food" sings of Jesus Christ, and examines his feeding of the five thousand. With razor sharp lyrics, Ben sets out to provoke the listener to feed the hungry and share God's love with words like, "Why (do) you wash your stained hands?"--Powerful stuff.

It is time to gather around the fire and hear Ben sing while strumming his acoustic guitar on the folky "So I Believe." Ben's gruff textured--yet scintillating voice is the only accompaniment needed for his skilled guitar pluckings. There is "No Stopping" Ben on the next track. As his psalm-like lyrics sail along this conscious groove, his voice gently caresses the driving instruments. Then the reggae rhythm drops in--a welcome guest in a positively brilliant song.

Even though Ben is Nigerian, track 9 is the only song on the album that clearly reveals his true heritage. On "You'll Be Fine," Okafor introduces us to the joyful African soukous. This conscious song is adorned with tasty guitar licks and an amazing bridge that takes you from the Zairian jungle to the a rave in Los Angeles for a brief 40 seconds. And I was especially drawn to the lyric that reads "Until the lions have their own historians, tales of the hunter will always be glorified."

"Victoria" is an ambiguous stripped-down acoustic tune with autobiographical lyrics. The final song is "Africa Will Be," which is done in a laid-back mode and begins with psychedelic sounds similar to Pink Floyd's "Time." But when the rhythm enters it is clear that this roots-reggae runs things. This homage to Mother-Africa is a vision of hope for Ben's Homeland, bringing perfect closure to a flawless album.

**CONCLUSION**

Overall, the entire album is WICKED ROOTS REGGAE with one African/soukous track and two acoustic tunes--a must-have for all roots devotees. Named Brit-links' "Indie of the Month," this spectacular project is a polished reggae outpouring from a mature songwriter--the best release of his 16 year career!

Though he may find himself entangled in controversy by some conservatives for the cigarette in his hand in a few of the photos in the CD booklet, this vice is overshadowed by his message driven music.

Similar to Sade's recordings, this album is laid back, full of mellow vibes to soothe your soul. Ben's voice effortlessly crawls out of the speakers with poetic words of wisdom and experience. It is music for the dead of the night--the perfect sound-track to relax your tense nerves after a long days work. We are talking mood music, not the diet sounds that you find at your local nature store with bubbling streams and babbling brooks. While some have called it everything from "new age-reggae lite," to "spiritual soul-music," I think that they have missed the point--this effort rivals any roots reggae release in the past decade.

Whether you frequent Starbucks daily or hate the taste of java, I am confident that you will love "Coffee with Lazarus." So sit down, relax and take a sip......ahhhh! After just one sample I am convinced that you won't just want "Coffee With Lazarus," You'll want breakfast, lunch and dinner!