Mac McAnally: Zanzibar

I got to know the music of Mac McAnally back in the late 1970s with his first album and its single release “It’s a Crazy World,” which received a modicum of airplay, but unfortunately it just scratched the Top 40 surface. His songs spoke to me, and as I rediscovered his music on YouTube, I learned how good a guitarist he is.

I’m not sure how I found today’s song, but I landed on it about two months ago. McAnally says he doesn’t know what inspired “Zanzibar,” as it is nothing like any of his songs. Maybe he was channeling Django Reinhardt – I don’t know.

The tune was recorded at “Hear and Now Live at Blackbird Studio” in Nashville. I am not sure when this occurred or who the other three players are, but the video was uploaded to YouTube a year ago. I wish I knew more, but the quality of the writing of and playing on “Zanzibar” says it all.