Well, loyal reader, your humble scribe continues to span the globe to bring you the best in independent and hard-to-classify music. Gecko Turner is a singer from Spain (but then, you probably guessed that from the name) who requires his own file-under category.

Gone Down South (Lovemonk, 2010) opens with "Truly," a mellow, jazzy tune whose vocals remind me a lot of an Irish singer-songwriter named Tony Ryan. That lead song is followed by "Cuanta Suerte," which has an Afro-Cuban feel to it. That's right, a Spanish singer performing an Afro-Cuban song. It is not only a fine example of multiculturalism, but also a good taste of what this artist is all about. It is a rich, rhythmic song that should make you want to dance. 

Gecko Turner even gets a little (dare I say) experimental on the song "So Sweet," which finishes with someone trying really hard to play notes on a trumpet. The different sounds just keep on rolling with "Tea Time (and the Five O'Clock Jam," a funky tune with some hip-hop influence. So, in case you're scoring at home (or even if you're alone), through four songs, this artist has shown four very different styles. And then there is "Mbira Bira (Guadiana en Los Ojos)." If you didn't know any better, you would swear this song is performed by an African band. It has a lot of the melodic and rhythmic qualities of African folk music. 

OK, so this album is one part folk, Afro-Cuban, funk, jazz, and contains horns, piano, vibraphones, harmonica, and steel drums. If you've ever listened to San Diego sports radio host Lee "Hacksaw" Hamilton, you know that he opens the show with a variety of sports topics and then asks his listeners, "Have I given you enough to talk about?" Allow me to borrow from the Hacksaw. Have I given you enough reasons to check out Gone Down South? The album is available everywhere 11 October.