Music from Niger’s desert city, Agadez, continues to gain new, avid followers, and it’s easy to hear why. Whether it’s ambling at a mellow gait or raging militantly at a gallop, this strain of African blues rock rivets and sends you into a trance. The piquant, glinting guitar tones and serpentine riffs make for a fresh jam-band gestalt that’s packed with virtuosity and the sort of emotion that comes from oppressed people—in this case, Tuareg musicians. Bombino (aka guitarist/vocalist Omara Moctar) is one of this style’s most formidable practitioners. His output for former Seattle label Sublime Frequencies and bigger labels such as Nonesuch reveals a player of exceptional dexterity and soulfulness. His songs’ parameters are relatively narrow, but Bombino finds manifold ways to embellish them with fascinating details. by Dave Segal