Pot Pourri

Stradivatango
Denis Plante; Stephane Tetrault
ATMA ACD2 2886 (atmaclassique.com/en/product/stradivatango)

The Canadian duo of bandoneonist/composer/arranger Denis Plante and cellist Stéphane Tétreault are back with memorable tango performances. The title Stradivatango is a contraction of the words Stradivarius and tango, the cello Tétreault plays and the music style the duo performs, respectively. Their close collaboration since 2018 makes for beautiful, tightly performed, colourful sounds that expand the sonic world of tango.

Plante’s composition Stradivatango is an eight-movement work influenced by baroque, classical and tango elements. The first movement, Le prince écarlate is Plante’s self-described tribute to Antonio Vivaldi, with both styles’ repeated notes, accents, melodic conversations and descending cello lines. There are more baroque theme and variations references with tangos in Chaconne. La camarde is a rhythmic dance with bandoneon opening and cello backdrop. A higher pitched bandoneon solo is even more tango flavoured, with close back and forth with the cello.

There are inspirational performances of Plante arrangements of “classic” tangos by Piazzolla, Gardel, Pugliese and Villoldo. Plante reorchestrates three of Piazzolla’s popular works including Libertango which has a bright and light cello melody with a nicely percussive bandoneon backup. Plante’s original Tango romance is a slower sombre piece with subtle tango feel in the rhythmic groove and colourful virtuosic melodic embellishments on the bandoneon. 

Plante and Tétreault’s continued dedication to the development of the tango style, and their intelligent moving musicianship is inspirational.

Listen to 'Stradivatango' Now in the Listening Room

Ajdad – Ancestors | Echoes of Persia
Amir Amiri Ensemble
Fifth House FH-101 (amiramiriensemble.bandcamp.com/album/ancestors-ajdad)

Amir Amiri Ensemble’s latest recording project is nothing short of masterful. Sadly, this celebration of Iranian/Persian culture could never have been manifested under Iran’s current theocratic, repressive regime. Amiri, an icon of the santur, and his gifted collaborators, Reza Abaee (ghaychak), Omar Abu Afach (viola), Abdul-Wahab Kayyali (oud) and Hamin Honari (tombak, dayereh and daf) have gifted us with 12 original compositions that explore the ancient connections between Persian and other Middle Eastern musics – relationships that were obliterated following Iran’s 1979 cultural and political upheaval. 

Amiri wears several hats here, as performer, producer, arranger and composer, and the project is rife with musical complexities rendered on primarily traditional instruments by his coterie of skilled musicians. This CD is an emotional journey framed by a series of original compositions. In particular Baran (Rain) contains diatonic descending lines intertwined with unison motifs, invoking the cleansing, healing rain, woven into a fabric of melancholy. Amiri and Afach shine here, with stunning, facile technique. Another delight is Raghseh Choobi (Dance of the Wooden Sticks), which clearly and harmonically illustrates the joy of the unfettered Iranian and other Middle Eastern peoples. Also stunning is the melancholy Sarzamineh Madaran (Towards My Motherland) – a moving lament that will resonate with every newcomer and ex-patriot. Afach is featured in a solo viola sequence here, filled with sonorous, motifs of lament and longing.

Kayyali displays breathtaking technique in his solo sequence, Sarzamin (Spirit of Our Land) on a stringed instrument that pre-dates the Western Lute, and the ensemble unites on the rousing Raghseh Sama (Sama Dance) utilizing dynamics and incendiary percussion to flame the excitement. This gorgeous disc closes with the title track, an ode to the ensemble’s ancestors – brave, courageous and artistic, whose unique DNA lives on in the Iranian people.

Breath | Ah |Aliento
Farnaz Ohadi
AIR Music Group (Farnazohadi.com)

Persia and Spain seem too geographically apart for the musical traditions to collide. But ancient travel does throw up incredible surprises, such as when the Persian scholar Zaryab established a conservatoire in Cordoba 1000 years ago. Persia’s music also bears the influence of Mughal North India. Afghan, Azeri traditions are also intertwined with Persian ones as are those of Andalusia that might have come via Arabia. 

The Canadian-created double-CD Breath owes its magical veritas to Farnaz Ohadi who “blends” Persian maqam (modes) seamlessly with the flamenco guitar of Gaspar Rodríguez. 

Listening to Farsi lyrics sung, mystically, Sufi-style by the smoky-voiced Ohadi is quite eye-popping and spectacular. Moreover, the flamenco-style strumming and dark chords by Rodríguez makes for a very unusual, but spectacular encounter with Ohadi’s vocals. 

Ohadi’s and Rodríguez’s musical ingenuity goes a step further by orchestrating the music incorporating Lebanese or Phoenician traditions. This provides a brilliant new fluid dynamics, making everything fit like a velvet glove.

Both discs are superb. Disc one’s Anda jaleo – the bulerias flamenco – is exquisite, providing much freedom for improvisation, and variable metre. The song Oriyan, a hypnotic solea, and Resurrection, which melds the chanted seguidillas rhythms to close out the disc, are superb. After three eloquent vocal songs – especially the Persian folk song, Yar – disc two closes out with five instrumentals. Of these, the song Erev and the instrumental rendition of Oriyan are truly spectacular.

Distilled Extractions
Emad Armoush’s Rayhan
Afterday AA2401 (afterday.bandcamp.com/album/distilled-extractions)

Bringing together the ensemble Rayhan for Distilled Extractions becomes a stroke of genius when paired with Emad Armoush’s lineup of traditional Arabic songs and original compositions. The ensemble – all veteran Canadian improvisors – have both the skill and the chemistry to explore beyond the basic songs to bring an evolutionary vision to the album. The result is simply beautiful.

Armoush’s oud, ney, and vocals lead the ensemble through these pieces but leave space for the group to expand with improvisations and occasional electronics, giving the album a modern feel but never losing the essence of the traditional tunes. Rayhan, comprising clarinetist François Houle, Jesse Zubot on violin and effects, JP Carter on trumpet, Kenton Loewen on drums (and Marina Hassleberg guesting on cello) is exquisite in their delicate balance and chemistry, but much could be also be praised for Houle’s perfectly balanced and creative mastering ensuring the primary focus and authenticity remains with the traditional songs.

The entire album flows seamlessly, enriched by the group’s improvisations, electronic explorations and occasional jazz influences, and I loved every track. From the opening improvisation of El Helwa Di, to Lahza, beginning with a breathtaking trumpet and effects solo before evolving into a rhythmic groove, to Zourouni, starting with a free improvisation featuring Houle’s clarinet at the forefront, the album effortlessly blends traditional and contemporary elements, eventually gathering the entire ensemble and bringing the album to a conclusion that left me seeking out where this group will be performing next.

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