Little Earth

構成数 : 2枚
合計収録時間 : 01:59:16
Liner Note Author: D.A. Sonneborn . Recording information: Architecture Studios, Los Angeles, CA; Avast Studios, Seattle, WA; Mile High Music Studio, Denver, CO; Mozart Studio, Clifton, NJ; Sounds Of The Mushroom, New York, NY; Studio 270, Montreal, QC, Canada; The Electric Company, Santa Fe, NM. Photographers: Amanda Kowalski; Marco Prozzo; Eyvind Kang; Diana Molina; Michael Wilson ; Mitch Tobias; Jack Vartoogian; Jim Gale; Inga Hendrickson; Genevieve Russell; Johnny Fernandes; Randall V. Biggers. Arranger: Rahim Alhaj. Iraqi oud master Rahim Alhaj has made his home in the U.S. since 2000, but his eye is on the big picture, the entire globe -- his Little Earth. He certainly has the pulling power to draw in some big names, ranging from R.E.M.'s Peter Buck to guitarist Bill Frisell and accordionist Guy Klucevsek. In fact, his collaborators here are from all over the world, responding in their individual ways to his compositions. There's real beauty here, as with his collaboration with Cape Verdean singer Maria de Barros on "Missing You," a piece that takes her far from her comfort zone. Klucevsek is masterful, making his accordion sound Middle Eastern, while the kora/oud combination on "The Other Time" is simply a light dance that's delightful. But whether Alhaj is working with sitar, pipa, or his own small ensemble, the music is very rich here, an exploration of where people come together. There are far more points of contact than divergence, and the fact that the album closer features him playing with an Iranian ney player shows just how people can ignore borders placed on them by governments. ~ Chris Nickson