I missed oud player Dimitris Wahid when he toured the West Coast last year with percussionist Chrish Wabich. This collection of concert material shows that I, as well as probably you, missed a good night of sounds. The music here is the apotheosis of conversant artists, creating moods as mysterious as the Sahara, or as luminous as a starlit night in Crete. “Alexander’s Regret” delivers traditional sounding melodies on the 10 stringed instrument while the percussion takes you on remote journeys of time and rhythm. Some of the material such as “Inside Silence” and “Protoleia” evoke liturgical sounds and images, with almost a mystical spaciousness to the music. Wahid’s touch and technique is thoughtful and never glib; he’s got the chops, but he’s emphasizing a feel more than a display of dexterity. Thoughtful, and thought provoking. I’ll check him out next time around.
www.Wahidmusic.com