From the first beautiful incantation on the title tune, the new album by Lionel Loueke lets you know it offers something different. The title, "Karibu," means "welcome" in Swahili, and if Loueke is welcoming us to his musical world, we will eagerly welcome him to ours. He may already be familiar; he plays on Herbie Hancock's Grammy-winning "River: The Joni Letters" album. Hancock returns the favor, appearing on Loueke's album, along with Wayne Shorter, on a beautiful rendition of John Coltrane's "Naima" and other tunes. Also on board are the excellent members of Loueke's trio, bassist Massimo Biolcati and percussionist Ferenc Nemeth. But there is no question that it is Loueke's wondrous guitar and vocals that imbue the album with a magical quality that transcends genre. Loueke was born in the West African country of Benin. On "Karibu" he fuses the music of his culture with jazz in a manner that is simply breathtaking.