Simon Shaheen & Qantara 'Blue Flame' (ARK 21 186 850 022-2) Simon Shaheen has been composing and refining the music leading up to the release of his ensemble's latest release, Blue Flame for over a decade. With Qantara; Jamey Haddad, Steve Sheehan, Francois Moutin, Lorenzo Martinez, Bassam Saba, Adam Rogers, and Najib Shaheen, all highly acclaimed musicians in their own right, the ensemble produces a sound that is immediately appealing and organic.Qantara has gathered critical and popular acclaim in both world music and contemporary music circles around the world, but their music is not easily pinned down.There are strong elements of Arabic music, jazz, and chamber music, as well as hints of ambient music and minimalism in some pieces. The result is a fertile blend of emotion and energy, making Qantara one of the most important musical exports of the Mid-East. Shaheen formed Qantara in the mid-1990s, organizing up a group of instrumentalists with similar musical tastes, who were fluent in the music of various cultures. The name Qantara means "arch" in Arabic. The combination of instruments make for a sound that is at times fast and furious, at others slow and gentle. If you like the classic sounds of the violin and the oud, then you will love this album. Although these sounds predominate, the CD also draws in other instruments such as percolating rhythmic percussion, trumpet, flute, and electric guitar. Throughout the album, Shaheen demonstrates his virtuosity on the oud and violin. In Simon's own words, "In every piece on the CD, the instruments show two faces, we play Middle Eastern style with improvisations and microtones, and then gypsy, jazz, flamenco, or other styles, on the same instrument. No doubt that this will attract more people. There is openness in America towards world music. This is an opportunity to reach a large sector of the mainstream audience. In the final analysis, I can to attract them to also listen to traditional Arabic music in its purest form." I certainly agree, and thing this music will attract a lot of listeners. Highly recommended. Review by Ben Kettlewell information: website: http://www.ark21.com

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