Once confined to albums of North Africa, the oud is creating its own niche in the jazz world. Here are two recent releases
Sounds from the Middle East and Far East are mixed and contrasted, as Issam Rafea plays the Syrian oud and Gao Hong takes up the Chinese pipa on this 12 song collection of sensitive improvisations. The subtitle of the album is “The Blending of Ancient Souls from Syria and China,” and the songs interplay reflects the sounds of each country, forming rich and wondrous moods. There are moonlit spaces on “Indercurrent” with the dreamy oud creating lyricism and the pipa forming percussive chimes. There’s a tensile playfulness on “Homesick,” cantoral cries on “Hidden Dance” and lurking shadows on “Walking the Distance.” A hint of the blues takes place on “Heavy Heart” and the two merrily clippety clop on “Childhood.” For music that is improvised, there is plenty of melody and communication. Rich and delicious.
Amos Hoffman plays oud and electric guitar as he teams with pianist Noam Lemish and a supporting team of Just Gray/b and Derek Gray/dr along with Pedram Khavarzamini/tombak and Jacob Gorhaltsan/g through a decalogue of Israeli-jazz tunes. The Middle Eastern strings work well along with bowed bass on the desert breezed “Adon Haslichot” with lyrical piano creating fragrants of cumin on the unison line’d “Aji Tu, Yorma Aji?”. Sensuous panoramas create a romantic mood on “Ets Harimon” while a 5/4 dance is used for Hoffman’s electric guitar as the team skips along on “Harbi” while creating Old World moods on “Dror Yikra.” This one’s as creamy as fresh hummous.