Blue Maqams

Description

Scheduled for release on the occasion of his 60th birthday, Blue Maqams appears in many ways as the celebration album for Anouar Brahem. Recorded at Avatar Studios in New York in May 2017 under the artistic direction of Manfred Eicher, it features the great Tunisian master of the oud alongside three brilliant improvisers: the “Maqams” evoked by the album title refer to the modal system of traditional Arabic music — a kind of equivalent to the “shades of blue” (kind of blue) cherished by jazz musicians. This album is also the occasion for a major reunion between Anouar Brahem and Dave Holland, whose first meeting dates back 20 years to the recording of Thimar, acclaimed by both audiences and critics. If Brahem had never played with Jack DeJohnette before this session, Holland and DeJohnette are long-time musical partners, their first collaboration dating back to the turn of the 1970s when they were both members of Miles Davis’s groups. Suffice it to say that their collaboration has already entered jazz history. British pianist Django Bates also makes his magnificent contribution to the album, superbly rising to the challenges posed by Brahem’s compositions. For his part, Anouar delivers on this record some of his most inspired performances. Blue Maqams will undoubtedly be one of ECM’s major events this autumn. Quartet concerts are planned for 2018.