[1] In 2008, after a chance meeting at an airport terminal in Berlin, Germany, Raichel and Touré forged a friendship with an intention to perform together in concert.
[3] Joining Vieux and Idan in the studio were Israeli bassist Yossi Fine and Malian Calabash player Souleymane Kane.
Derek Beres of The Huffington Post stated: “[The Touré-Raichel Collective] execute their craft so diligently and passionately that spontaneous improvising results in rich and symbolic gestures of art.” [10] David Maine of PopMatters declared: "This is the best record you will hear this year.
The New York Times described their cover of Ali Farka Touré's (Touré's father) song "Diaraby", writing, "in place of the buzzing, riff-laden guitar dialogue of the original track, the Touré-Raichel version emphasizes the song’s crystalline melody and is performed as a simple duet for voice and piano.
"[8] PopMatters described The Paris Session as, "engrossing, reflecting a more urban environment within the first song as you hear the warmth of a trumpet, instead of the pure desert vibes from the earlier album.