Arthur Lee Land is a native Chicagoan who, after touring Nigeria and Ghana, West Africa in 2001, spawned the concept of Afrograss: a synthesis of West African percussion and bluegrass in a folk-rock context, with a touch of funk, jazz, reggae, latin and world beat.

Touring as a multi-instrumental solo act which he calls a “One-Man Afrograss Folk Rock Ensemble,” he utilizes looping technology much like Keller Williams or Zach Deputy, layering African percussion, bass, acoustic and electric guitars, guitar synth, vocals and talk box. Inspired by the Colorado music scene, he relocated to Boulder in 2004, and by 2005 had been lauded as “Best Singer/Songwriter” by Colorado’s Marquee Magazine.

His new CD, “Dragonfly,” showcases his talent as a songwriter as well as performer, with an all-star cast of musicians contributing. Produced by Grammy-nominated songwriter/producer Wendy Waldman, who hails from the California-based folk/rock scene that produced Jackson Browne, Linda Ronstadt, and many others, the album boasts contributions from Joe Craven (David Grisman Quintet) on fiddle, mandolin and percussion, Mark Diamond (Big Swing Trio) on acoustic bass, Scott Babcock (Karla Bonoff) on drums and percussion, Michael Travis (String Cheese Incident) on djembe and congas, Herb Pederson (Old and In The Grey, Chris Hillman) on banjo, Greg Liesz (Joni Mitchell, k.d. lang) on dobro, and Kenny Edwards (Linda Ronstadt, Don Henley, Stevie Nicks) along with Wendy Waldman on backup vocals.

“Dragonfly” is a wonderful collection of funky, joyous tunes with a diversity that underscores Land’s talent as a songwriter, with subtle complexities and simple melodies that make for an amazingly interesting listening experience.