
This is one of European Jazz’ spectacularly mixed cultural acts. Made-up of musicians from France, Italy, Lebanon and the USA, the band performs oud player Rabih Abou-Khalil's outstanding compositions: oriental melodies and breath-taking, complex rhythms.
This daring mélange of Mid-Eastern and Mediterranean music has taken audiences from Montreal to Beijing by surprise. Truly, an extraordinary Jazz experience to be caught on-stage. The line-up featuring oud, accordion, saxophone, tuba, drums, and Sardinian throat singing is beyond anyone’s imagination. Enjoy a compelling musical encounter, which has intellectual depth whilst being whole-heartedly entertaining.
In May 2006, Rabih Abou-Khalil s concert at London’s Queen Elisabeth Hall was recorded by BBC3. And in August 2006 they gave a performance at the Semperoper in Dresden.
Rabih Abou-Khalil has embarked on a new musical adventure: the composition of a Fado-inspired show. The quintet first performed in July 2007 together with singers Ricardo Ribeiro and Tănia Oleiro at Teatro S. Luiz (Lisabon) and Teatro Nacional San Joao (Porto).
Rabih Abou-Khalil's latest album featuring Fado-singer Ricardo Ribeiro's beautiful voice and Portuguese lyrics written for especially for Abou-Khalils music, will be released on Enja Records in May 2008.
Songs for Sad Women, yet again, marks a turning point, this time towards musical melancholia. Its sound is inspired by Armenian duduk master, Gevorg Dabaghyan, whose playing evokes an elegiac and mournful mood. Its melodies spread a peaceful, warm ambience and breath an almost feminine vibe. The sound shaped by the traditional instruments is as haunting as a once familiar scent, awakening by-gone memories and bringing them back to life.
In June 2005, the German city of Duisburg together with WDR Radio commissioned Rabih Abou-Khalil to write orchestral works for a performance at the Traumzeit Festival. Rabih Abou-Khalil was given the choice of selecting his favorite orchestra for the interpretation of this project and he chose no lesser an orchestra than Ensemble Modern. Playing individually and collectively at the highest level, they interpreted Abou-Khalil’s rhythmically and musically demanding language as precise and elegant as if they had done nothing else before. The result is an intellectual and sensual, complex and light-hearted music.
To Jazz aficionados this may seem an unlikely get-together of musical talent. Rabih Abou-Khalil, known for highly complex and composed music, meets Joachim Kühn, known for free and intense improvisation. Low and behold, they have a lot to say to each other while percussion-wizard Jarrod Cagwin’s drum-work holds their interplay together. The result is a fresh mix of good musicianship with a repertoire encompassing everything-under-the-sun - from oriental tunes to blues riffs during which Joachim Kühn may even leave his piano to blow on sax. The Trio´s CD has been released on Enja Records.
Songs For Sad Women (ENJ-9494 2)
Morton´s Foot (ENJ-9462 2)
Il Sospiro (ENJ-9440 2)
Journey to the Centre of an Egg (ENJ-9479 2)