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Rabih Abou-Khalil, among the rare Arabic musicians who have recorded and played extensively with jazz musicians, successfully navigates the middle ground between traditional North African sounds and hard bop. Besides the leader's oud and flute, alto saxophonist Sonny Fortune provides the blues bite; bassist Glen Moore, the rhythmic connection, and percussionists Ramesh Shotham and Nabil Khaiat, provide the African seasoning.

As Il Sospiro shows, Rabih Abou-Khalil's music is unique, in that it spans East and West - or rather the Middle-East and Europe - in a way other composers have attempted, but with much greater success. Raised in the cosmopolitan climate of pre-civil war Lebanon, and privileged to learn the oud there, he was forced to migrate to Munich where he studied classical flute. His rediscovery of oriental music from a European vantage point has both freshness and also the familiarity of long acquaintance. His best disc to date has been Yara, a film soundtrack for which he teamed his oud with a violin and cello plus the Middle Eastern frame drum, to create a haunting sequence of visually evocative pieces. With Il Sospiro he makes his first solo foray as an unaccompanied oud player, and the result is even more bewitching…

Following the extraordinary statement of "Castel del Monte", French tuba and serpent player Michel Godard felt even more fascinated by this magical building and returned to Apulia for a second trip through times and cultures. Accompanied by some leading Italian and French improvisers like Gabriele Mirabassi and Vincent Courtois, Godard also called for the services of renowned Italian Ensemble Calixtinus who are specialized in Mediterranean music such as Gregorian Chants.

The Castel del Monte near Ruvo di Puglia, Southern Italy, was the last and most beautiful building of Frederick II. (1194-1250), Roman emperor and King of Sicily. It dominates the Apulian landscape like a white crystal, a fata morgana beyond time and space whose original purpose will probably remain a mystery forever. When German producer Achim Hebgen and French musician Michel Godard visited the castle together, they felt there should be music created in and for the building - music that is simultaneously in the past, the present and the future. Along the borders between Mediterranean folk song and modern composition, mediaeval tradition and jazz improvisation, the first "Castel Del Monte" project (ENJ-9362 2) became a great musical document of the European-Arabic heritage and its historical continuity. Critics liked it all over Europe: CD of the month (Stereoplay), Rating: **** ½ (Jazzthetik), "Un sentiment d'éternité; **** (Jazzman).

Always eager to record in new situations, on this CD Lee Konitz is showcased with a string sextet (two violins, violas and cellos), bassist Michael Formanek and drummer Matt Wilson. The cool-toned altoist pays tribute during a dozen songs to both Billie Holiday and (in a more subtle fashion) tenor great Lester Young, two of his early idols. Daniel Schnyder contributed all of the arrangements for the set. Rather than weighing down the proceedings, Schnyder has the strings adding rich harmonies and phrases that seem to anticipate the leader's phrases, and they even swing. Lee Konitz, who added a vibrato to his sound for the project so he could recreate some of Billie Holiday's feeling, handles the ballads and medium-tempo material beautifully. Highlights include "The Man I Love," "I Cried For You," "All Of Me" and "Easy Living." A memorable and heartfelt effort by all concerned.

Malcolm Braff - Inside (2011) {Enja}
EAC rip (secure mode) | FLAC+CUE+LOG -> 402 Mb | MP3 @320 -> 163 Mb
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© 2011 Enja Records / Malcolm Braff | ENJ-9573 2
Jazz / Post Bop / Modern Jazz / Piano

Malcolm Braff's works are sensuous and powerful and at the same time filigreed, contemplative, and masterful. Malcolm Braff doesn’t run out of ideas. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he grew up on the Cape Verdean Isles and Senegal before settling in Switzerland. The pianist, composer and aesthetic maverick has worked on his reputation of an inspiring artist who fires up the European scene with spectacular activities, especially with spectacular art. In the early Nineties projects acquainted him with fellow artists like Bänz Oester, Mathieu Michel, Samuel Blaser and also Eric Truffaz.

The Rosenberg Trio with Bireli Lagrene - Djangologists Rather than putting the focus on Django s most famous compositions, Djangologists the Rosenberg Trio s fifteenth album hails the spirit that has guided Django s work, digging into the less known, the unexpected and the unpredictable. It is a tribute to the master paid by masters. The enclosed DVD shows the musicians in the studio while recording this important project and also offers nice interviews with them reflecting their love for Django s music.

This summer, a wave of hits sweeps over the waves … Find the 100 hits of the summer 2019! With: Daddy Yankee, Slimane, Vitaa, Gims, Angele …