If you’ve been a bit skeptical of the melding of jazz and sounds from the Middle East, here’s the perfect intro. Pianist Benjamin Taubkin mixes and matches musicians from Brazil and Morocco to create an almost Kind of Blue-ish mood, but with flavors of the local souk.
The team of Ari Colares/perc, Joao Taubkin/b, Lulinha Alencar/acc, Mehdi Nassouli/gimbri, Farid El Foulahi/oud and Lahoucini Bagir/perc are mixed and matched in various settings. Gently flowing jazz pieces such as “O Deserto E Aqui’” and Variacao Em Temas Tradicionais” mix melancholy Spanish and Andalusian moods with modal jazz auras, with ouds and accordions weaving in and out of Taubkin’s piano solos and themes. Rich nasally vocals permeate “Hamdouchia” and “Berma Sosanbi” that are supported by fragrant percussion, taking you to exotic parts of town, while moody and melancholy strings and rhythms flow on “Hijaz” before Taubkin’s bass skips like a trotting horse cart over the groove of “Quilombo.” As perfect a marriage of jazz and the Mediterranean as you’re gonna find.
Adventure Music