Crisis
Reviews
Be Sharp
Reviewed 2016-05-31
Reviewed 2016-05-31
WORLD JAZZ
Another masterpiece by Iraqi-American trumpeter ElSaffar blending Middle Eastern instruments, modes, and this time Arabic verse, into a western jazz context. It’s sometimes challenging but always excellent. Instruments are trumpet, saxes, bass & drums, plus santur, buzuq, oud, and other perc. See the liner notes for explanations & English translations.
No FCC issues.
1 Slow. Drum intro, trumpet blast, then peaceful strings. Vocal invocation. (4:54)
2 ** Mid-fast. Folk dance feel in mixed time signatures. Very compelling. (8:50)
3 * Slow. Sad solo trumpet improvisation. Quite beautiful. (3:17)
4 * Fast. Bass solo starts, drums join, then horns & strings. Certainly Middle Eastern sounding, but sort of fun and funky too. (8:18)
5 Slow. First half is delicate interplay of western and Middle Eastern instruments. Second half is a 13th-century Arabic love poem sung in a slow chant by Elsaffar. (7:05)
6 ** Mid-fast. Fascinating mashup of East & West. Highly rhythmic. (8:19)
7 ** Mid-tempo. Syncopated & tense. The “straightest” jazz piece here, but it still clearly references Middle Eastern tonality. Interplay between trumpet & perc is suburb. (13:40)
8 Very slow. Somber like a funeral march. Solo trumpet elegy & fateful drums. (3:36)
9 Slow. A reprise of track 5. Same melody. The complete poem rather than a part. (7:08)
Another masterpiece by Iraqi-American trumpeter ElSaffar blending Middle Eastern instruments, modes, and this time Arabic verse, into a western jazz context. It’s sometimes challenging but always excellent. Instruments are trumpet, saxes, bass & drums, plus santur, buzuq, oud, and other perc. See the liner notes for explanations & English translations.
No FCC issues.
1 Slow. Drum intro, trumpet blast, then peaceful strings. Vocal invocation. (4:54)
2 ** Mid-fast. Folk dance feel in mixed time signatures. Very compelling. (8:50)
3 * Slow. Sad solo trumpet improvisation. Quite beautiful. (3:17)
4 * Fast. Bass solo starts, drums join, then horns & strings. Certainly Middle Eastern sounding, but sort of fun and funky too. (8:18)
5 Slow. First half is delicate interplay of western and Middle Eastern instruments. Second half is a 13th-century Arabic love poem sung in a slow chant by Elsaffar. (7:05)
6 ** Mid-fast. Fascinating mashup of East & West. Highly rhythmic. (8:19)
7 ** Mid-tempo. Syncopated & tense. The “straightest” jazz piece here, but it still clearly references Middle Eastern tonality. Interplay between trumpet & perc is suburb. (13:40)
8 Very slow. Somber like a funeral march. Solo trumpet elegy & fateful drums. (3:36)
9 Slow. A reprise of track 5. Same melody. The complete poem rather than a part. (7:08)
Recent airplay
Taqsim Saba
Rebop — Jul 11, 2022
The Great Dictator
Rebop — Aug 12, 2016
Taqsim Saba, Love Poem (Complete), Aneen (Weeping), Continued
DJ YJ's Cultural Tidbits: Iraqi Music and Culture — Aug 09, 2016
The Great Dictator
K-Area — Aug 07, 2016
Floyover Iraq
Rebop — Aug 05, 2016
Floyover Iraq
Clean Copper Radio — Aug 04, 2016
Charting
2016-06-06 — 2016-08-08
Jazz
| Week Ending | Airplays |
|---|---|
| Aug 14 | 1 |
| Aug 7 | 3 |
| Jul 24 | 4 |
| Jul 17 | 3 |
| Jul 10 | 2 |
| Jul 3 | 4 |
| Jun 26 | 1 |
| Jun 19 | 2 |
Track listing
| 1. | Introduction - From The Ashes | ||
| 2. | The Great Dictator | ||
| 3. | Taqsim Saba | ||
| 4. | El-Sha'ab (The People) | ||
| 5. | Love Poem | ||
| 6. | Floyover Iraq | ||
| 7. | Tipping Point | ||
| 8. | Aneen (Weeping), Continued | ||
| 9. | Love Poem (Complete) |