Cipher

Music composed for both Iranian and Western audiences originally played by students at the Tehran Conservatory of Music; now based in the U.S, the Sibarg Ensemble combines jazz, classical, and traditional Iranian music; each piece is a real mixture of styles and influences; similar in concept to the Kurdish Hawniyaz but more experimental and spikier with lyrics mostly based on classical Persian poetry rather than folk tunes; very much in the Persian tradition of marrying poetry with music; all tracks are worth playing

NO FCC's; Favorite tracks: 2, 6

1-Azal-6:49 – intro sounds like western contemporary classical then rhythm kicks in with piano, drums, bass, strings—piano repeats motif as bass and violin and maybe kamanche noodle around; more than halfway through vocalist comes in with the words from a poem by Omar Khayyam; kamanche comes to the fore; abrupt end

*2—Sari Galin –8:57 – Eastern flavor from the beginning with tar; devolves into improv with tar and then violin holding down the melody based on a folk tune sung in Farsi and Armenian; vocals start almost halfway through; instrumental bridge with piano chords modulating under bass fiddle and then singer comes back

3-- Cipher –6:28 – faster paced; Iranian motif leads off; singer has traditional vibrato; interesting mixing of vocal textures with jazz piano and Middle Eastern bowed instruments; words from a poem by Rumi

4-Four Parts—6:59 – bass and percussion lead off here, piano comes in; sounds a bit like a traditional dance then devolves into extended improvisation with double bass and instrument that sounds like a santour (although not listed on the album); vocalist comes in quite late as the other instruments play with him; words from a poem by Fereydoon Moshiri

5—Deylaman –5:01 – starts with bass-- a bit desultory with percussive effects and tar; presumably to create the right atmosphere for the Sa'adi poem which follows

**6-- Faryad – 9:21 – much faster rhythm based on a Kurdish melody with words from a poem by Hafez-- slows down a quarter of the way through as piano and other instruments play improvisations; vocalist comes in about halfway through; a bit dreamy