Astrakan Cafe

---

---

Customer reviews

review by: date: 2004-05-22 rating:
MORE than wonderful disk
Ohhhhh, what's that fantastic disk. No comment, it fabulous disk.
Thanks Mr. Anouar.

---

review by: phillipjohnmc date: 2004-03-29 rating:
Wonderful
This is my first experience with oud music, and I have to say I love it very much. This is a very relaxing CD, and I plan to buy more of Brahem's music. The only thing I would say contrary is that the clarinet is too overpowering at times. I have to turn my volume down a tad. But on songs like 'Parfum de Gitane' the instrument sounds perfect and magical. Thanks for the great CD.

---

review by: date: 2004-01-25 rating:
A Fusion Success
I was searching for contemporary Arab music when I ran across this gem. Inspired by the music of the 'stans of Central Asia, this disc pairs Anouar Brahem's astounding oud playing with a clarinet and Moroccan drums (bendir and darbouka). The resulting fusion succeeds surprisingly well, comparable to the achievements in a different genre of Radio Tarife. Some of the tracks have a jazz quality reminiscent, at moments, of Benny Goodman. The highlight however is the unique title piece, which appears on two different tracks.

On the down side, I still find the first piece (by the clarinetist Barbaros Erkose) disappointing, even after repeated listening. Moreover, the clarinet is over modulated in a few spots. With these exceptions, the music and the sound quality are both superb. This disc will reward the listener with a wealth of detail when played on a good audio system.

---

review by: date: 2003-12-24 rating:
a taste of exotica
This still certainly rates as jazz, but just as much it gives the impression of a visit to... --well, uh, a cafe in Astrakan. Especially atmospheric is the clarinet play of sideman Barbaros Erkose, which produces just the right emphasis of exotica to complement Brahem's virtuostic oud play (is there a greater student of this instrument now recording?) and the unobtrusive backing percussion (bendir and darbouka). This is a tuneful but rather laid back kind of jazz, occasionally giving itself over to flashes of brilliant play. It sounds more than just a bit mysterious, but it is a naked mystery. Stripped of the kind of mood cliches one often hears in the soundtracks to bad films about Arabic lands, this music reveals some of the emotional secrecies that can be found at the heart of the cultures it strives to portray.


review by: Engineer date: 2003-08-30 rating:
Traditional music from a Master
I own around 1200 CDs, and I consider myself an expert in international music. This one CD stands out among a very few in my collection. I am going to try to describe it, but I won't be able to do justice; I can't find the right words. This fully instrumental CD (no singing) takes you to a magical land and recreates centuries of middle eastern imagery in the mind of the listener. This is not a CD like "Simon Shaheen"'s modernistic approach to Middle Eastern music. This is "traditional Middle East" with perfect harmony and perfect performance. I have played this CD hundreds of times since I purchased it. And I still love it like the very first time.

---

Similar products

Le Pas Du Chat Noir
Le Voyage de Sahar
Barzakh
Thimar
ECM Touchstones: Conte de l'Incroyable Amour

---

Similar categories

Music . Styles . Folk . Traditional Folk
Music . Styles . World Music . General
Music . Styles . World Music . Europe . Eastern Europe . Gypsy
Music . Styles . World Music . Middle East . Arabic
Music . Styles . World Music . Middle East . Turkey
Music . Styles . World Music . Middle East . General
Music . Styles . World Music . Middle East . General AAS
Music . Styles . Jazz . General
Music . Styles . Jazz . Traditional Jazz & Ragtime . Traditional Jazz General
Music . Styles . Jazz . Traditional Jazz & Ragtime . General AAS
Music . Specialty Stores . Custom Stores . Labels . Amazon.com Label Stores . ECM Records . ECM Jazz & World
Music . Refinements . Format (binding) . CD . CD Album
Music . Refinements . Edition (format) . Main Albums

---