Forum Klix.ba

Rabih Abou-Khalil
Between Dusk and Dawn


Album : Between Dusk and Dawn
Artist(s) : Rabih Abou-Khalil
Release Date : 2005
Original Release Date:1987
Label : Enja
Genre : Jazz
Total time : 00:55:11
Total size : 126 MB

Tracks :
1. Dusk
2. Bat Dance
3. Nightfall
4. Ugo in Love
5. Chess with Mal
6. Thing That Came Out of the Swamp
7. Dawn
8. And Finally ... The Oasis

@320 Kbit/s mp3

“Between Dusk And Dawn" was originally recorded in 1986, and released in 1987. The style is a blend of middle-east style music with jazz improvisation, which makes for an interesting combination. Rabih Abou-Khalil composed all the pieces on this album, although "The Thing That Came Out Of The Swamp" was a joint effort with Michael Armann. "Nightfall" and "Dawn" are two of my favorite pieces on the album.

The musicians bring a wide variety of instruments, which clearly has a large influence on the sound and feel of each track. The musicians are: Rabih Abou-Khalil (oud, flute), Charlie Mariano (soprano and alto saxophones), Glenn Moore (bass), Glen Velez (frame drums, darabukka, percussion, overtone singing), Ramesh Shotham (South Indian percussion), Christian Burchard (marimba), and Michael Armann (piano).

Download:

Rabih Abou-Khalil
Bukra


Album : Bukra
Artist(s) : Rabih Abou-Khalil
Release Date : 1988
Label : Enja
Genre : Jazz
Total time : 00:50:13
Total size : 115 MB

Tracks :
1. Fortune Seeker
2. Bukra
3. Kibbe
4. Remember... the Desert
5. Nayla
6. Time
7. Reflections

320 Kbit/s mp3

"Bukra" sits somewhere between the improvisational "Between Dusk And Dawn" and the traditional "Nafas". Although the percussion still plays a very important role in the music, it is not as dominant as it was on "Nafas". There are 7 tracks, building to the excellent "Reflections" which closes the album. The lineup for this album is very similar to "Between Dusk And Dawn".

Download:

Rabih Abou-Khalil – Nafas


Album : Nafas
Artist(s) : Rabih Abou-Khalil
Release Date : 1988
Label : Enja
Genre : Jazz
Total time : 00:50:34
Total size : 115 MB

Tracks :
1. Awakening
2. Window
3. Gaval Dance
4. The Return I
5. The Return II
6. Incantation
7. Waiting
8. Amal Hayati
9. Nafas
10. Nandi

@320 Kbit/s mp3

Abou-Khalil's primary instrument is the oud, a lute-like instrument traditionally used in Arab music. This low, sweet-toned, obviously Far Eastern instrument is teamed up with nothing more than Arab drums in most of the songs. Sparse vocals, performed by Selim Kusur, do little to create any discernible melody. Instead, they add texture and effect -- or an intro in the case of "Incantation." Upbeat songs such as "Awakening" are carried along by the drums, while the melancholy sound of the oud dominates introspective tracks such as "Nafas." This album is a far cry from the complex, percussion-heavy, often slightly jangly albums that usually make it to the world music section in Western record stores. It is also unlike the techno-influenced worldbeat albums that found popularity amongst certain club circles. It is a wistful, lonely album. Its simple, spare instrumentation is its distinguishing feature; after listening to dozens of over-produced, musically complex albums, this one comes as a bit of a relief. Though certain world music experts consider Abou-Khalil to be an innovator within his subgenre, his music sounds neither new nor old. It's hard to fit within any time frame. ~ L. Katz

Recorded at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, Norway in February 1988.

Download:

Rabih Abou-Khalil
Al-Jadida


Album : Al-Jadida
Artist(s) : Rabih Abou-Khalil
Release Date : 1990
Label : Enja
Genre : Jazz
Total time : 00:58:34
Total size : 134 MB

Tracks :
1. Catania
2. Nasbuwa
3. Evening With Jerry, An
4. When the Lights Go Out
5. Story Teller
6. Ornette Never Sleeps
7. Nadim
8. Wishing Well

@320 Kbit/s mp3

Rabih Abou-Khalil, among the rare Arabic musicians who have recorded and played extensively with jazz musicians, successfully navigates the middle ground between traditional North African sounds and hard bop. Besides the leader's oud and flute, alto saxophonist Sonny Fortune provides the blues bite; bassist Glen Moore, the rhythmic connection, and percussionists Ramesh Shotham and Nabil Khaiat, provide the African seasoning. ~ Ron Wynn

Recorded at Bauer Studios, Ludwigsburg, Germany from October 8-10, 1990.

Download:

Rabih Abou-Khalil
Roots & Sprouts


Album : Roots & Sprouts
Artist : Rabih Abou-Khalil
Release Date : 1990
Label : Enja
Genre : Jazz
Total time : 01:07:11
Total size : 92.7 MB

Tracks :
1. Remembering Machghara
2. Walking On Air
3. Nida
4. Revelation
5. Wordless
6. Sweet Sweet Rain
7. Outlook
8. Caravan
9. Dreams Of A Dying City

@VBR mp3

Download:

Rabih Abou-Khalil
Blue Camel


Album : Blue Camel
Artist(s) : Rabih Abou-Khalil
Release Date : 1992
Label : Enja
Genre : Jazz
Total time : 01:01:00
Total size : 83,4 MB

Tracks :
1. Sahara
2. Tsarka
3. Ziriab
4. Blue Camel
5. On Time
6. A Night In The Mountains
7. Rabou-Abou-Kabou
8. Beirut

@VBR mp3


Blue Camel is the pinnacle to date of Lebanese oud-player Rabih Abou-Khalil's achievement as a jazzman. In both mood and scope, it can almost be characterized as a new Kind of Blue. Both tense and reflective, it is perfect for listening after midnight. Abou-Khalil brings back Charlie Mariano on alto sax and Kenny Wheeleron flugelhorn and trumpet, and they generally alternate solos with Abou-Khalil himself. Rounding out the roster is Steve Swallow on bass, Milton Cardona on congos, Nabil Khaiat on frame drums and Ramesh Shotham on South Indian drums and percussion. They form a tight ensemble but project that they are comfortable with each other. The album opens with "Sahara," which contains both one of Abou-Khalil's tunes, a mesmerizing melody that could be either Arabic or jazz, and one of Abou-Khalil's best solos, a well-defined interlude that delightfully features the unique timbre of the oud. "Tsarka" begins with a fast break on the oud that turns out to be one of the two motifs on which everything is built. After it is elaborated for a few bars, the oud comes back with another building block. Then we get some stunning improvisations, especially from Abou-Khalil. "Ziriab" opens with a trumpet solo in which Kenny Wheeler tests the compass of his instrument, backed up with some atmospheric sounds from the udu drum; then Abou-Khalil enters with another great tune for everyone to build on. The title track is nothing but fun. Seductive percussion ushers in Wheeler and Mariano playing in unison a tune that is somewhere between Duke Ellington and the court of Baghdad. As the percussion bubbles along, Milton Cardona's congos adding a Latin flavor to the proceedings, AbouKhalil steps up with a very fast and rhythmic, if not very tuneful, solo. Midway through the track, Mariano blisters the paint with a screeching sax workout that bridges the Arabic and the Latin, while remaining all the while pure jazz. Even Steve Swallow gets a chance to feature his bass after which the ensemble brings it together and takes it home. Some of the other tracks are not as good as the ones mentioned above, but they are all listenable and very atmospheric. The aptly named "A Night in the Mountains" is a slow, thoughful walk, perfect for silent contemplation. The album ends with "Beirut," named for the Lebanese city torn by civil war from which Abou-Khalil had to flee many years ago. The track begins with a quite oud solo and then builds to something more chaotic and strifeful. Blue Camel may not be a perfect album, but it demonstrates better than any other that a fusion between jazz and a musical form from another culture is possible and can work to the advantage of both. Plus, it's just great listening.
~ Kurt Keefner

Download:

Rabih Abou-Khalil – Tarab


Album : Tarab
Artist(s) : Rabih Abou-Khalil
Release Date : 1994
Label : Enja
Genre : Jazz
Total time : 01:00:56
Total size : 85,5 MB

Tracks :
1. Bushman in the Desert
2. After Dinner
3. Awakening
4. Haneen Wa Hanaan
5. Lost Centuries
6. In Search of the Well
7. Orange Fields
8. Tooth Lost, A
9. Arabian Waltz

@VBR mp3

Tarab is an unusual album for the great Lebanese jazz composer and oud player in that it features no Western instruments or musicians, except for Glen Moore on the acoustic bass. The melody instruments are the nay (Arabic flute) played by the Syrian veteran Selim Kusur and, as always, Abou-Khalil on oud or Arabic lute (which more or less functions like the piano in a standard jazz quartet). Rounding out the group are Nabil Khaiat on frame drums and percussion, and Rameesh Shotham on South Indian drums and other percussion. Everyone but Kusur has worked at least semi-regularly with Abou-Khalil. (Kusur did play on Abou-Khalil's Roots & Sprouts, an earlier instance of an album with no Western instruments.) The lack of Western instrumentalists gives Tarab a less jazzy, more Arabic feeling than Abou-Khalil's other albums. Abou-Khalil builds his albums around his guest instrumentalists, so Tarab features the nay prominently, but even more, this is an album for the oud and for showing off the rhythm section. For example, on "In Search of the Well" there is actually a bass solo. And there are a few other pleasant surprises scattered throughout the album. On "Awakening," someone -- just who is not credited -- lets forth a string of bol singing, that rapid-fire, tongue-twisting Indian chant made famous in the West by Sheila Chandra. And on "Arabian Waltz," a jaw harp appears out of the blue , presumably played by Shotham, who plays it on Between Dusk and Dawn, accenting the fast-paced original version of what later became the more lush title track of the album Arabian Waltz. This last song is especially welcome for its strong melody, standing out on an album that certainly does not lack for atmosphere, but which would have benefited from greater tunefulness. Still, a very worthy effort, though not the best place to start one's Rabih Abou-Khalil collection, especially if one is coming from a jazz background.
~ Kurt Keefner

Download: