Vieux Farka Touré @ Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, 29 Jan

Following in the footsteps of an iconic musical father is no easy task, as the likes of Ziggy Marley, Julian Lennon and Teddy Thompson will attest. It’s been no different for Mali’s Vieux Farka Touré who has found emerging from the shadow of his legendary guitarist father, Ali, a challenge on a variety of albums which have seen this wonderful musician struggle to find his own voice.

Perhaps the reason for this is Vieux’s fondness for a collaboration or two. 2011 saw him produce a rock influenced album in The Secret (featuring Dave Matthews) while far more interesting was his 2013 partnership with Israeli singer and pianist Idan Raichel. Last year he teamed with American singer Julia Easterlin, whose accompaniment he may have benefitted from on this tour.

As engaging and charming as his stage manner and dazzling guitar lines are, much of tonight's show feels like Vieux’s career in a nutshell: does he want to move away from the beautiful, desert blues of both his early work and that of his father or continue his journey toward western rock influences?

Thankfully as the performance moves towards its climax such weighty questions are ignored by the audience who seem to spur on Vieux as they vacate their chairs and dance frantically along the sides of the stage to the raw Malian motifs of his sound. Full of fluid guitar and exuberant polyrhythms it’s a pleasing delight.