Reviewed: 2018-04-20
Genre: Jazz
FCCs: none
Review: Eckemoff returns with another stellar group excursion, this time to the middle eastern desert. It is interesting to listen to instruments that are not from the region create music that evokes the region anyway. She has a new group of all-stars along for the journey, as well. In addition to establishing a dialog between American and European musicians, canceling the presumed differences between their respective jazz styles, this album combines poetry, refined technique and interpretive intensity. A rare example of the balance between intellectual complexity and emotional immediacy.
If You Like: Oregon, Anouar Brahem, Ibrahim Maalouf
Track Review (favorites denoted by *):
1/ Bedouins (9:25) – bass starts> slow tempo mysterious jam> piano solo> slow fade
*2/ Mirages (7:58) – slow steady piano starts> slow tempo jam> heavy piano solo> sax solo> slow jam> quick stop
3/ Desert’s Cry (5:58) – slow piano starts> slow jam> piano solo> slow jam> fade
*4/ Dance (8:26) – percussion starts> slow jam> piano solo> sax solo> jam> bass solo> slow jam quick stop
*5/ Colors Of Nothingness (6:47) – piano starts> slow jam> morphs into different melody> quick fade
6/ Condor (4:12) – slow piano start> slow jam morphs into heavy midtempo jam & slowsfade
*7/ Oasis (4:59) – percussion starts> midtempo jam> bass solo> oboe solo> midtempo jam> fade on percussion
*8/ Dust Storm (8:32) – piano starts.slow tempo builds to midtempo> piano solo> midtempo jam> clarinet solo> midtempo jam> quick fade
9/ Desert Remained (5:29) – slow piano start> slow jam> very slow piano solo> false stop> slow jam> quick fade
*10/ Garden Of Eden (5:30) – slow piano start> slow jam> English horn solo> builds to midtempo jam> fade
11/ Sands (7:30) – piano starts> slow jam> clarinet solo> piano solo> slow jam> slow fade