Ahmed Abdul-MALIK - Jazz Sahara 1958

Ahmed Abdul-MALIK - Jazz Sahara 1958
Recorded in NY, October 1958
1993 Reissue. OJCCD-1820-2

Jazz

Ahmed Abdul-Malik is the first to introduce middleeastern music of his kind. Abdul-malik's music is unique and introduces far beyond his time. One of the istruments he uses, (kanoon) has a very distinct sound. As he played the kanoon he expresses feelings like no other being. In addition, the Oud also has a distinct tones that only he can explain. One of the greatest joy of listening to Abdul-Malik's music is being able to go beyond and experience his moods. I really feel that if many people take the time to listen to his music, they would discover and unfold the hidden treasures of who they really are. Abdul-Malik's music speaks to you and communicates with your soul. Abdul-Malik's music is an example of how far the mind can travel. Even though he has passed on, the legacy still remains. Abdul-Malik left a message for us to carry on his journey. This is just a begining.
By  Halima Abdul-Malik.
**
This Album reissue is an early example of fusing jazz with world music. Abdul-Malik switches between bass and oud; interacts closely with the droning violin of Naim Karacand, Jack Ghanaim's kanoon (a 72-string instrument), and Mike Hamway's darabeka (a percussive drum); and mixes in Al Harewood's drums and (on three of the four selections) the tenor of Johnny Griffin. The music is a qualified success, essentially Middle Eastern folk music with Griffin added in. This set is interesting and, in its own way, innovative but not essential.
By Scott Yanow. AMG.
**
Johnny Griffin- (Tenor Sax)
Naim Karacand- (Violin)
Ahmed Abdul-Malik- (Bass, Oud)
Al Harewood- (Drums)
Bilal Abdurrahman- (Duf)
Jack Ghanaim- (Kannon)
Mike Hemway- (Darabeka)
**
01. Ya Annas (Oh, People)  11:10
02. Isma'a (Listen)  9:10
03. El Haris (Anxious)  11:28
04. Farah 'Alaiyna (Joy Upon Us)  6:59
**

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Ahmed Abdul MALIK - Jazz Sounds of Africa 1961

Ahmed Abdul MALIK - Jazz Sounds of Africa 1961

Jazz

Ahmed Abdul-Malik played bass with Monk for a while (including on the At Carnegie Hall with Coltrane CD recently unearthed). He also can be heard on the sublime Complete 1961 Village Vanguard box set intermittently playing the oud with the classic John Coltrane quartet (which to me is a contender for the greatest music ever recorded). Despite these credentials, Abdul-Malik never achieved more than a moderate amount of recognition for his music, which is too bad considering how good this music on Jazz Sounds of Africa sounds.
Right around the same time as the Vanguard recordings he recorded the music on this disc, which sounds equally as "out", and also very different, than what Coltrane was doing.
In fact, this music is so different I'm not really sure what to compare it to.

Yusef Lateef was also experimenting with what could be called world fusion jazz, and 15 or 20 years later Don Cherry went there, but Ahmed Abdul-Malik was on his own path. This is music rooted in bop, but every song really goes in a different direction, most with a strong Middle Eastern and African influence. With the exception of Andrew Cyrille on drums, all of the dozen of so players featured on this CD are pretty much unknown to me. It's amazing that he was able to get so many great (but obscure) musicians together to record,
and the solos sound inspired and creative throughout.

I'd recommend this CD to just about anyone with an interest in jazz that's outside the boundaries of the straightforward (whatever that means), and this CD is especially a bargin since it's actually two albums compiled onto one CD.
By Peter E. Johansen
**
Ahmed Abdul Malik- (Oud and Double Bass)
Tommy Turrentine- (Trumpet)
Andrew Cyrille- (Drums)
Rudy Collins- (Drums)
Taft Chandle-r (Tenor Sax)
Chief Bey- (African Drum)
Rupert Alleyne- (Flute)
Richard Gene Williams- (Trumpet)
Eric Dixon- (Tenor Sax)
Calo Scott- (Violin and Cello)
Montego Joe- (Bongos and Congas)
Bilal Abdurrahman- (Clarinet, Percussion, Reeds, and Darbouka)
**
01. Nights on Saturn (Ahmed Abdul-Malik) 7:34
02. The Hustlers (Ahmed Abdul-Malik) 5:34
03. Oud Blues (Ahmed Abdul-Malik) 4:09
04. La Ibkey (Ahmed Abdul-Malik) 5:52
05. Don't Blame Me (Dorothy Fields/Jimmy McHugh) 7:28
06. Hannibal's Carnivals (Ahmed Abdul-Malik) 4:40
07. Wakida Hena (Ahmed Abdul-Malik) 3:53
08. African Bossa Nova (Ahmed Abdul-Malik) 6:00
09. Nadusilma (Ahmed Abdul-Malik) 4:00
10. Out of Nowhere (Johnny Green/Edward Heyman) 5:00
11. Communication (Ahmed Abdul-Malik) 9:46
12. Suffering (Ahmed Abdul-Malik) 5:12
**
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Ahmed Abdul MALIK - East Meets West 1959

Ahmed Abdul MALIK - East Meets West 1959
Label: RCA
Released: October 16, 1995

Jazz

The late Ahmed Abdul-Malik was best known to jazz listeners as a bassist with Thelonious Monk, Randy Weston, Coleman Hawkins, and many others. He made a few records as a leader, with this one being his most exotic and also the hardest to find. The Brooklyn native was of Sudanese descent; in addition to playing bass on this interesting blend of Middle Eastern instruments with those from the world of jazz, he also plays oud, the forerunner to the lute. The musicians on Malik's eight originals vary from track to track. On the mournful "La Ibky (Don't Cry)," Malik's oud shares the spotlight with a tenor sax (either Benny Golson or Johnny Griffin) plus trumpeter Lee Morgan. "Rooh (The Soul)" features the 72-string kanoon (which is sort of a brittle sounding and much smaller harp) played by Ahmed Yetman, along with Malik's arco bass and the droning violin of Naim Karacand. The Middle Eastern instruments are absent during "Searchin'," which is sort of a hard bop vehicle featuring trombonist Curtis Fuller and Jerome Richardson on flute, along with the tenor sax. "Takseem (Solo)" omits the jazz instruments; the slowness of the variations of the music and rather piercing vocal make it harder for Western ears to comprehend. Not a release of interest to everyone but, for the most part, this fusion of vastly different styles of music is quite enjoyable; it's obvious from the start that the musicians were enjoying themselves as it was recorded. This long out print LP will be difficult to locate.
By Ken Dryden. AMG.
**
Ahmed Abdul-Malik Bass, Oud
Bilal Abdurrahman Darabeka
Curtis Fuller Trombone
Benny Golson Sax (Tenor)
Johnny Griffin Sax (Tenor)
Ray Hall Engineer
Mike Hamway Darabeka
Al Harewood Drums
Naim Karacand Violin
Bernard Keville Engineer
Lee Morgan Trumpet
Jerome Richardson Flute
Lee Schapiro Producer
Ahmed Yetman Kanun
**
A1. El-Lail (The Night)   4:17
A2. La Ibky (Don't Cry)   4:55
A3. Takseem (Solo)   5:08
A4. Searchin'   4:02

B1. Isma'a (Listen)   4:15
B2. Rooh (The Soul)   3:37
B3. Mahawara (The Figure)   4:12
B4. El Ghada (The Jungle)   3:06
**
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