Rabih Abou-KHALIL - Blue Camel 1992

Rabih Abou-KHALIL - Blue Camel 1992

Jazz

Blue Camel is the pinnacle to date of Lebanese oud-player Rabih Abou-Khalil's achievement as a jazzman. In both mood and scope, it can almost be characterized as a new Kind of Blue. Both tense and reflective, it is perfect for listening after midnight. Abou-Khalil brings back Charlie Mariano on alto sax and Kenny Wheeleron flugelhorn and trumpet, and they generally alternate solos with Abou-Khalil himself. Rounding out the roster is Steve Swallow on bass, Milton Cardona on congos, Nabil Khaiat on frame drums and Ramesh Shotham on South Indian drums and percussion. They form a tight ensemble but project that they are comfortable with each other. The album opens with "Sahara," which contains both one of Abou-Khalil's tunes, a mesmerizing melody that could be either Arabic or jazz, and one of Abou-Khalil's best solos, a well-defined interlude that delightfully features the unique timbre of the oud. "Tsarka" begins with a fast break on the oud that turns out to be one of the two motifs on which everything is built. After it is elaborated for a few bars, the oud comes back with another building block. Then we get some stunning improvisations, especially from Abou-Khalil. "Ziriab" opens with a trumpet solo in which Kenny Wheeler tests the compass of his instrument, backed up with some atmospheric sounds from the udu drum; then Abou-Khalil enters with another great tune for everyone to build on. The title track is nothing but fun. Seductive percussion ushers in Wheeler and Mariano playing in unison a tune that is somewhere between Duke Ellington and the court of Baghdad. As the percussion bubbles along, Milton Cardona's congos adding a Latin flavor to the proceedings, AbouKhalil steps up with a very fast and rhythmic, if not very tuneful, solo. Midway through the track, Mariano blisters the paint with a screeching sax workout that bridges the Arabic and the Latin, while remaining all the while pure jazz. Even Steve Swallow gets a chance to feature his bass after which the ensemble brings it together and takes it home. Some of the other tracks are not as good as the ones mentioned above, but they are all listenable and very atmospheric. The aptly named "A Night in the Mountains" is a slow, thoughful walk, perfect for silent contemplation. The album ends with "Beirut," named for the Lebanese city torn by civil war from which Abou-Khalil had to flee many years ago. The track begins with a quite oud solo and then builds to something more chaotic and strifeful. Blue Camel may not be a perfect album, but it demonstrates better than any other that a fusion between jazz and a musical form from another culture is possible and can work to the advantage of both. Plus, it's just great listening.
By Kurt Keefner. All Music Guide.
**
Bass- Steve "Dr. Zvalov" Swallow*
Congas- Milton Cardona
Drums [Frame]- Nabil Khaiat
Drums [South Indian], Percussion- Ramesh Shotham
Flugelhorn, Trumpet- Kenny Wheeler
Oud, Producer, Composed By, Artwork By [Cover Design]- Rabih Abou-Khalil
Saxophone [Alto]- Charlie "Sir Charles" Mariano
**
01. Sahara 8:18
02. Tsarka 6:45
03. Ziriab 6:49
04. Blue Camel 8:20
05. On Time 6:19
06. A Night In The Mountains 8:37
07. Rabou-Abou-Kabou 4:47
08. Beirut 10:52
**

NoPassword
*
DLink MU
DLink FF
*

Rabih Abou-KHALIL - Bukra 1988

Rabih Abou-KHALIL - Bukra 1988

Jazz  

In this time of paranoia, perhaps it may be helpful to engage in sampling once again the civilization of the Middle East which has given us among other things, algebra, Tutankhamen and the oud. This last is, as we know, the grandaddy of the lute which is the father of the guitar. The sound of the oud in the hands of such as Rabih Abou-Khalil is quite ravishing. On this CD its beauty is everywhere apparent but especially so on the track Reflections which features the oud solo. But this is only part of the musical story in this wonderful programme of music. Percussion and hence rhythm is at its heart. Mr Glen Moore, once of Oregon, on bass, Glen Velez on drums, and Ramesh Shotham on percussion provide a rich, hypnotic and vital tapestry of sounds against which Mr Abou-Khalil and Mr Fortune (brilliant on alto) investigate their respective melodic and harmonic possibilities. Mr Fortune's solo on the title track is achingly beautiful whilst his passionate, lonely opening to Kibbe is revelatory and could stand alone as a voice combining elements of jazz, the desert, and Indian music all at once - this is sound that should echo in our hearts as we ponder the notion of war in the Middle East against one of the "axis' of evil". Not a dull moment on this CD. If you like "world music", jazz or simply good music, this is for you. After many listenings over six years, I still revere it.
By Ian Muldoon.
**
"Bukra" sits somewhere between the improvisational "Between Dusk And Dawn" and the traditional "Nafas". Although the percussion still plays a very important role in the music, it is not as dominant as it was on "Nafas". There are 7 tracks, building to the excellent "Reflections" which closes the album. The lineup for this album is very similar to "Between Dusk And Dawn": Rabih Abou-Khalil (oud), Sonny Fortune (alto saxophone), Glen Moore (bass), Glen Velez (frame drums, percussion, overtone vocals), Ramesh Shotham (South Indian drums, percussion).
**
Rabih Abou-Khalil- (oud);
Glen Velez- (vocals, frame drums, percussion);
Sonny Fortune- (alto saxophone);
Glen Moore- (bass);
Ramesh Shotham- (South Indian drums, percussion).
**
01. The Fortune Seeker
02. Bukra
03. Kibbe
04. Remember...The Desert
05. Nayla
06. Time
07. Reflections
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Rabih Abou-KHALIL - Songs For Sad Women 2007

Rabih Abou-KHALIL - Songs For Sad Women 2007

Jazz

Showing respect and audacity in equal measure, the music of Lebanese oud player/composer Rabih Abou-Khalil has always stretched musical boundaries and traversed time. His is a music which embraces tradition, and challenges it. On Songs for Sad Women Abou-Khalil marshals a stripped-down ensemble which plays with air akin to intimate chamber music, yet with the soul of timeless folk music.
The combination of Armenian 'duduk,' (a double-reed instrument related to the cornet whose origins pre-date both Christianity and Islam), the bizarrely-shaped 'serpent,' (a baritone cousin of the tuba which looks to have sprung from the imagination of an Asian calligrapher), frame drum and oud, makes for sound, which is at once familiar yet difficult to define. On "Songs for Sad Women' the middle east meets North Africa, and folk and jazz flirt and dovetail, riding in each other's currents.

Abou-Khalil's oud playing is understated and tasteful, much in the vein of guitarists Jim Hall or Bill Frisell, particularly in the way his solos seem to evolve from nothing, gradually seducing the listener. A case in point is his wonderful solo on "How Can We Dance if I Cannot Waltz?" that typifies the 'less is more' approach. On "Best if you Dressed Less" we can discern the odyssey of the oud from the middle east to the Iberian peninsula and its influences. Here Abou-Khalil's more vigorous playing sounds like a slower flamenco rasgueando. Elsewhere, his oud provides tremolo tension or plays unison lines, and in truth, he has never sounded better.

In recent years Abou-Khalil has often eschewed the bass for euphonium, tuba and here, the serpent. It is employed in much the same way as a bass, but also lends a brassy richness to the unison lines and at other times acts as a drone. In the hands of Michel Godard it is also transformed from accompanying role to a leading one on "Para O Teu Bumbum" where his solo, though almost comedic belies a tremendous technique. The other half of the rhythm section, Jarrod Cagwin, plays beautifully throughout the album. He animates the music with his shimmering brushes, light, deft touch on the frame drums and tambourine, which shimmies and swings like a belly dancer's coin belt.

This is a fine group, surely one of the best that Abou-Khalil has brought together. Gevorg Dabaghyan excels on duduk; his mournful, passionate solo on "Mourir pour ton decollete" is as expressive as the human voice, on a song which could be a lament for every mother from Al Quds to Beruit, and from Turkish Kurdistan to Baghdad. On "Best if You Dressed Less" the duduk sounds like an Indian flute. Despite the title of the album, the music is not all wailing lament; although leaning towards the melancholy there is much beauty in the playing, passion too.

This is a highly satisfying addition to Rabih Abou-Khalil's impressive discography; graceful and poetic, and one that lingers in the memory.
By Ian Patterson. AAJ.
**
Rabih Abou-Khalil- Oud
Gevorg Dabaghyan- Duduk
Michel Godard- Serpent
Jarrod Cagwin- Drums
**
01. Mourir Pour Ton Décolleté (7:29)
02. How Can We Dance If I Cannot Waltz (7:08)
03. Best If You Dressed Less (6:56)
04. The Sad Woman Of Qana (8.46)
05. Para O Teu Bumbum (7:08)
06. Le Train Bleu (6.55)
07. A Chocolate Love Affair (11:09)
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Rabih Abou-KHALIL - The Sultan's Picnic 1994

Rabih Abou-KHALIL - The Sultan's Picnic 1994
Label: Enja
Recorded at Sound Studio N, Cologne, Germany from March 13-16, 1994
Audio CD: (May 25, 2002)

Jazz

Composer and oudist Rabih Abou-Khalil generates variety and interest by bringing aboard different guest musicians for each album. The personnel on Sultan's Picnic is so similar to that of Blue Camel that one might expect them to sound similar. But there's a key difference in the presence of Howard Levy on Sultan's Picnic. Levy is a talented harmonica player who has done a lot of offbeat work, including a stint with Béla Fleck & the Flecktones. Despite the power of Charlie Mariano on alto sax and Kenny Wheeler on trumpet, this album is dominated by the idioms of the harmonica, specifically the jazzy, quirky, lackadaisical idiom popularized by Levy's work with the Flecktones. This domination is noticeable from the beginning, on "Sunrise in Montreal." Occasionally, the harmonica recedes to the background and allows other instruments to shine through. On "Solitude," Levy provides only the occasional raspy sound effect, while Abou-Khalil steps forward with an instrument he had custom-built: the bass oud. Other novel instruments put in an appearance here as well. Michel Godard huffs and toots away on the tuba and its archaic predecessor, the serpent. (This is in addition to Steve Swallow on bass.) Whether because of the multitude of instruments all the aforementioned, plus three percussionists and an uncredited electric guitar or just too much influence from Levy, the album lacks focus, except when it sounds like the Flecktones. There are exceptions, like "The Happy Sheik" and "Snake Soup," where Abou-Khalil sounds like his dramatic self again. But on these tracks, Levy is used mostly as punctuation.
By Kurt Keefner, All Music Guide.
**
This album features a very similar lineup as Rabih's masterpiece Blue Camel. Once again Rabih uses his masterful arrangement skills to create wonderful horn lines and blends them with his middle eastern melodies and frenetic oud playing. As with all Khalil albums there is fantastic frame drame playing. Kenny Wheeler is featured on trumpet and really gets into the middle eastern thing. Two things that make this album different than Blue Camel are the addition of a harmonica player, and two tracks which feature Rabih the the bass oud. Personally I'm not a fan of the harmonica, but I abolutely love the bass oud. Solitude and Lamentation (which feature the bass oud) are chilling.
Highly recommended.
By  Scott Williams.
**
Rabih Abou-Khalil- (Oud, Bass oud);
Charlie Mariano- (Alto Saxophone);
Kenny Wheeler- (Trumpet, Flugelhorn);
Michel Godard- (Tuba, Serpent);
Howard Levy- (Harmonica);
Steve Swallow- (Bass);
Mark Nauseef- (Drums);
Nabil Khaiat- (Frame drums);
Milton Cardona- (Congas).
**
01 Sunrise In Montreal 8.14
02 Solitude 6.32
03 Dog River 4.25
04 Moments 6.17
05 Lamentation 8.59
06 Nocturne Au Villaret 6.33
07 The Happy Sheik 6.02
08 Snake Soup 4.28
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Rabih Abou-KHALIL - Nafas 1992

Rabih Abou-KHALIL - Nafas  1992
Label: Ecm
Audio CD: (June 19, 2001)

Jazz

The musical traditions of the Arabic world are fused with jazz improvisation and European classical techniques by Lebanese-born oud player and composer Rabih Abou-Khalil. The CMJ New Music Report noted that Abou-Khalil has "consistently sought to create common ground between the Arab music mileau of his roots and the more global musical world of today." Down Beat praised Abou-Khalil's music as "a unique hybrid that successfully spans the world of traditional Arabic music and jazz." Although he learned to play the oud, a fretless, Lebanese lute, as a youngster, Abou-Khalil temporarily switched to the classical flute, which he studied at the Academy of Music after moving to Munich, Germany, during the Lebanese Civil War in 1978. In an attempt to explore new ways to play Arabic music, he returned to the oud and began to incorporate techniques more often played on jazz guitar. In the early-'90s, Abou-Khalil was commissioned by Southwest German radio to write two pieces that were debuted in a performance with the Kronos String Quartet at the Stuttgart Jazz Summit in 1992, and recorded with the Belanescu Quartet four years later. Abou-Khalil has worked with a mixture of Arabic, Indian, and American jazz musicians, including alto saxophonist Sonny Fortune, frame drummer and percussionist Glen Valez, conga player Milton Cardona, harmonica ace Howard Levy, and bassists Glen Moore and Steve Swallow.
By Craig Harris, All Music Guide.
**
"Nafas" was recorded in Oslo in February of 1988. Rabih Abou-Khalil relies more on rhythms then he did on his prior release "Between Dusk And Dawn". In addition, this album is much more traditional, and lacks the improvisation of the previous release. For me, this wasn't quite up to the level of his prior work, but it is still worthwhile. "Window" and "Incantation" are my two favorite tracks.
By  Dave.
Rabih Abou-Khalil (Oud),
Selim Kusur (Nay, voice),
Glen Velez (Frame drums),
Setrak Sarkissian (Darabukka).
**
01. Awakening 2:07
02. Window 8:57
03. Gaval Dance 4:29
04. The Return I 6:23
05. The Return II 4:24
06. Incantation 6:06
07. Waiting 7:34
08. Amal Hayati 6:49
09. Nafas 1:36
10. Nandi 2:06
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Rabih Abou-KHALIL - Morton's Foot 2004

Rabih Abou-KHALIL - Morton's Foot 2004
Label: Enja Justin Time

Jazz
        
It's not enough for Lebanese oud player Rabih Abou-Khalil to bring the Middle Eastern oud tradition to his reinvented version of world jazz. He also brings in the accordion (in the hands of Luciano Biondini, an Italian) for European emphasis, the tuba (Frenchman Michel Godard) for a touch of New Orleans funk, and bass vocals (Sardinian Gavino Murgia) for pure exoticism. The international ensemble that performs on Morton's Foot brings its array of influences together for a freeform improv-rich jam that feels joyful even its most pensive moments.

Abou-Khalil wrote all eleven compositions on the record (the last is a mere eleven seconds long, so it doesn't really count). Their serpentine melodies often call for unison playing from melody instruments, though counterpoint and harmony also play important roles. A minor key and melismatic delivery marks most of the tracks, but they feel much more like calls to dance than melancholy laments or prayer music. At times they recall the Balkan-jazz fusion of Dave Douglas's Tiny Bell Trio and Pachora, both in melodic emphasis and blocky rhythms, but your mileage on this front may vary.

Abou-Khalil prefers to share the driver's seat with clarinetist Gabriele Mirabassi and accordionist Luciano Biondini most of the time. His oud playing tends to be explicit and straightforward, carefully phrased and often somewhat hypnotic. Godard usually parks his tuba inconspicuously in the low end, bumping along very rhythmically and providing a propulsive kick that matches the drums. When Murgia sings (on three tracks), his surreal rumbling immediately draws attention because of its unnaturally low pitch and emphatically rhythmic delivery. For me, his amazingly accuracy and creative phrasing really steal the show.

You can pick a labeled box to drop Morton's Foot into, but that would be a mistake. Take it at face value, draw inspiration from the varied strengths of each player, and you'll find yourself moved. This is a top pick of 2004, without a doubt.
By Nils Jacobson. AAJ.
**
Rabih Abou-Khalil (Oud);
Gavino Murgia (Vocals);
Luciano Biondini (Accordion);
Gabriele Mirabassi (Clarinet);
Michel Godard (Tuba);
Jarrod Cagwin (Drum, Frame Drum).
**
01. Ma Muse M'Abuse (6:26)
02. Morton's Foot (8:16)
03. Il Ritorno del Languore (7:28)
04. Lobotomie Mi Baba Lu (7:16)
05. L' Histoire d'Un Paraluie (6:08)
06. O Papaia Balerina (6:21)
07. Dr. Gieler's Wiener Schnitzel (7:19)
08. Il Sospiro (6:57)
09. Hopping Jack (7:39)
10. Waltz for Dubbya (4:08)
11. The Return of the Maltese Chicken (0:11)
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*

Rabih .Abou-KHALIL, J.Kühn, J.Cagwin - Journey To The Centre Of An Egg 2005

Rabih.Abou-KHALIL, J.Kühn, J.Cagwin - Journey To The Centre Of An Egg 2005
Label: Enja

Jazz

Cacti, feet, and now ewas with an egg? While the members of his group to pursue their own projects, not the master is idle. For the well-known contemporary ensemble he has composed a piece that included the beginning of next year also by the BBC orchestra. And with his new album, an encounter with pianist Joachim Kuhn (who here also plays alto saxophone), Rabih Abou-Khalil has again put up in unpredictable directions. Bold is a veteran musician exception of the Europe Jazz. Together with Daniel Humair and Jean-FrançFrancois Jenny-Clarke, he formed more than two decades to Jenny-Clark's death, a trio, and he is one of very few pianists who have recorded an album with Ornette Coleman and belong to the quintet. Two mature musicians who are meant for each other, which together grow about their egos out, with a young percussionist who makes a huge leap forward?

The first bars of the same unusual, never been heard: a very dark sound, that you can not even distinguish instruments. Rises up the oud. Shortly after that is all about: short broached Pianosounds move "up" and play the oud, the deep bass lines. In between, the breathing, sighing and somanbul dancing percussion.
Interplay depends: high above it, diving down underneath, mirror each other, with or without displacement, regurgitate juggle with balls, can resonate the jeweilgen Tonraum. At the beginning of Little Camels e.g. "See" anything. We hear only the rhythmic tapping of camel's feet. Suddenly you get the animals targeted: they have long since passed, and almost disappeared in the distance. Early on, the pieces end with a slight question mark. In the center they sometimes come almost to a halt, then to flare unexpectedly. There are elegant essays with  The finish-the Sweet and Sour Milk, that much of a partita by JS Kuhns citizens Bach. But not only Bach, Schubert and others shines through. Something special!
Henning Bolte
**
Rabih Abou-Khalil- (Oud)
Joachim Kühn (Piano), (Alto Sax)
Jarrod Cagwin (Drums), (Frame Drum)
Wolfgang Reisinger (Drums)
**
01.Shrewd Woman 3:40
02.Little Camels 2:50
03.Die Brücke 5:51
04.I'm Better Off Without You 11:16
05.Natwasheh and Kadwasheh 13:33
06.Mango 7:31
07.No Plastic Cups, Please 3:21
08.Sweet and Sour Milk 4:20
**
NoPassword
*
DLink
*