DHAFER YOUSSEF — Abu Nawas Rhapsody (review)

DHAFER YOUSSEF — Abu Nawas Rhapsody album cover Album · 2010 · World Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
idlero
Like his fellow tunisian oud player Anouar Brahem, Dhafer Youssef found his creative home in Europe.Like Anouar Brahem he brings to jazz his cultural heritage, creating a mixture of world and jazz music.Unlike Brahem he is also a passionate singer and in this album it is strongly felt, his (mostly wordless) vocals taking lead over his oud playing. Named after the eighth-century Persian classical poet Abu Nawas this is Dhafer Youssef 4th album and marks a return to the acoustic music together with Tigran Hamasyan on piano, Mark Giuliana on drums and canadian bassist Chris Jennings. Eleven tracks, mostly calm, tender, spiritual music with arabic influences, punctuated by Youssef's soaring vocals, well supported by Jenning's bass and bolstered by Giuliana's powerful drumming. 'Les Ondes Orientales' ,Khamsa and 'Odd Elegy' are some of the best tracks on this album. IMHO the hidden egg of this album is Tigran Hamasyan with his superb ECM-ish playing(personally being an instrumental music lover , I'm less impressed with Youssef's mesmerizing voice). Mark Giuliana proves again he is one the most talented drummers from his generation. With its simple but powerful melodies, 'Abu Nawas Rhapsody' is a great album for East meets West music lovers .
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Dance, No One's Watching African Fusion
EZRA COLLECTIVE
Buy this album from MMA partners
No More Water : The Gospel of James Baldwin Vocal Jazz
ME'SHELL NDEGÉOCELLO
Buy this album from MMA partners
Pree’s Wings Post Bop
GIO WASHINGTON-WRIGHT
Buy this album from MMA partners
Rodrigues / Rodrigues / Madeira / Taylor / Parrinha / Taubenfeld / Carmelo / Trinite : A Tale Unfolds Jazz Related Improv/Composition
ERNESTO RODRIGUES
Buy this album from MMA partners
Pandelis Karayorgis, George Kokkinaris : Out From Athens Avant-Garde Jazz
PANDELIS KARAYORGIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Spider Plant Blues
GREG FOAT
js· 3 days ago
Three Chord Monte
TONY ROMANO
js· 6 days ago
Afro Blue
SYNIA CARROLL
js· 7 days ago
“I See You, Baby, Looking At Me” by Warren Wolf
WARREN WOLF
js· 8 days ago
PETE ESCOVEDO "AIN'T NO SUNSHINE" (PLEASE LIKE & SHARE)
PETE ESCOVEDO
tupan· 10 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed