idlero
'The Astounding Eyes Of Rita' is Anouar Brahem eigth album released as a leader in eighteen years of collaboration with ECM. In 'The Astounding Eyes Of Rita'(the title is a reference to a poem by the late poet Mahmoud Darwish to whom the album is dedicated) Anouar Brahem brings in a new team of players-German bass clarinetist Klaus Gesing, Swedish bassist Björn Meyer [Nik Bartsch] and percussionist Khaled Yassine.The result is a livelier and more modern music with a richer sound( less solos or duos) and more jazzier than his earlier releases. Although the album has some great songs- the title track, 'The Lover Of Beirut' and 'Galilee Mon Amour', I find it less atractive than his top albums(IMO-Thimar,Astrakan and 'Le Pas Du Chat Noir')-I just miss the aching beauty of 'Le Pas Du Chat Noir'. Still a strong album which would please the fans, I don't know many artists who released in a row eight albums of such beauty.