El Saffar, Amir / Two Rivers
| Album: | Two Rivers | Collection: | Jazz | |
| Artist: | El Saffar, Amir | Added: | Oct 2007 | |
| Label: | Pi Recordings | |||
A-File Activity
| Add Date: | 2007-11-18 | Pull Date: | 2008-01-20 | Charts: | Jazz |
|---|
| Week Ending: | Jan 20 | Jan 13 | Dec 23 | Dec 16 | Dec 9 | Nov 25 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airplays: | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 |
Recent Airplay
| 1. | Aug 21, 2009: | No Cover, No Minimum
The Blues In E Half-Flat |
4. | Jan 25, 2008: | No Cover, No Minimum
Khosh Reng (Maqam Awj) |
|
| 2. | Jun 20, 2009: | No Cover, No Minimum: Weekend Edition
Shatt Al-Arab (Maqam Hadidi) |
5. | Jan 18, 2008: | Memory Select
The Blues In E Half-Flat |
|
| 3. | Jan 25, 2008: | Memory Select
Blood And Ink (Maqam Awshar) / Aneen (Maqam Mukhalif) |
6. | Jan 11, 2008: | Memory Select
Khosh Reng (Maqam Awj) |
Album Review
Fo
Reviewed 2007-11-15
Reviewed 2007-11-15
AMIR EL SAFFAR: Two Rivers
Pi, 2007
WORLD JAZZ – Iraqi-American trumpeter combines jazz with the classical maqam style of Iraq. The instrumentation is a hybrid too, with Rudresh Mahanthappa on sax and a jazz rhythm section bolstered by middle eastern strings and percussion, plus moaning vocals. Musically, the disc is moody, exotic and powerful, with unusual non-western tunings, tricky rhythms and occasional bursts of emotional energy.
All tracks great. Fo’s Picks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 10
1. 11:59 – slow: ensemble flows in waves, then relaxed solos over 10/8 pulse
2. 8:46 – complex horn rhythm, then fast, undulating sax solo; drifting trumpet
3. 6:50 – slow and slinky with big bass; oud & buzuq solos, slight funky touch
4. 7:33 – cool tension: exotic-sounding trumpet & sax voicings, good solos
5. 2:11 – bowed bass drone & calm trumpet melody
6. 7:49 – tricky 17/8 rhythm & microtones; horns trade phrases, drum break
7. 3:26 – violin wanders over atmospheric drum/bass; sung poem
8. 5:26 – slow march: searching sax over santoor (dulcimer), moody bass
9. 11:54 – starts slow, quiet; then surges w/ clashing rhythms, somber ending
10. 5:29 – weird microtone bass & buzuq, rolling avant-jazz horn dialogue
[ Fo ] 15-Nov-07
Pi, 2007
WORLD JAZZ – Iraqi-American trumpeter combines jazz with the classical maqam style of Iraq. The instrumentation is a hybrid too, with Rudresh Mahanthappa on sax and a jazz rhythm section bolstered by middle eastern strings and percussion, plus moaning vocals. Musically, the disc is moody, exotic and powerful, with unusual non-western tunings, tricky rhythms and occasional bursts of emotional energy.
All tracks great. Fo’s Picks: 1, 2, 4, 6, 10
1. 11:59 – slow: ensemble flows in waves, then relaxed solos over 10/8 pulse
2. 8:46 – complex horn rhythm, then fast, undulating sax solo; drifting trumpet
3. 6:50 – slow and slinky with big bass; oud & buzuq solos, slight funky touch
4. 7:33 – cool tension: exotic-sounding trumpet & sax voicings, good solos
5. 2:11 – bowed bass drone & calm trumpet melody
6. 7:49 – tricky 17/8 rhythm & microtones; horns trade phrases, drum break
7. 3:26 – violin wanders over atmospheric drum/bass; sung poem
8. 5:26 – slow march: searching sax over santoor (dulcimer), moody bass
9. 11:54 – starts slow, quiet; then surges w/ clashing rhythms, somber ending
10. 5:29 – weird microtone bass & buzuq, rolling avant-jazz horn dialogue
[ Fo ] 15-Nov-07
Track Listing