One song moved to a brusquely swinging modal funk vamp that, to a Western ear, sounded something like Louisiana zydeco.
Its foundation is the brisk, modal funk, topped by Arab-inflected vocals, that has been arriving from Ethiopia since the 1970's.
Four women share this bill of African music just beginning to make itself heard here: the modal funk of the Ivory Coast.
Another piece associated with a Davis alumnus that often works its way into Mr. Foster's sets is the pianist Herbie Hancock's 1960s classic of modal funk, "Cantaloupe Island".
But they easily had enough in common with Mr. Touré's music to join him and his band for the set's finale, "Sarama," a song from "Fondo" that grew into galloping modal funk, with the Blk Jks guitarist Lindani Buthelezi answering Mr. Touré's Malian curlicues with blues-rock leads by way of Jimi Hendrix.
Ms. Diawara, who is both a singer and dancer, draws on her parents' regional heritage — Wassoulou music — for tightly wound, triple-time modal grooves that she pushes toward funk and rock.
The unashamedly exuberant saxophonist Garrett is a technical wizard who combines hard bop, modal explorations, and funk.
"Ghana Soundz: Afro-Beat, Funk and Fusion in 70's Ghana Volume 2" (Soundway) collects hybrids from Ghana, where the funk meshed with the modal lope of that nation's own highlife music and with the Afrobeat percolating nearby in Nigeria.
Soul Rebels Brass Band, funk and jazz.
