|
You
are invited at the official launch of the album on
September 21 at 10.00 PM, Cornelia Street Cafe, New
York
Ravish
Momin’s Trio Tarana delivers another boundary-free
musical offering with Miren (A Longing), the
group’s second release on the Portugal-based CleanFeed
Record Label, now with a new lineup featuring violinist
Sam Bardfeld, oudist Brandon Terzic,
and special guest violist Tanya Kalmanovitch
on one track.
Momin
expresses his flavor of world jazz with Asian, Middle
Eastern and African motives as well as free-bop stylings
in a chamber-like configuration. It’s not the exotic
as a gimmick, but the expression of the “global village”
apparent in the United States where many cultures
coexist. He is aware of the pitfalls of eclecticism,
but he also believes that if the roots are strong,
the direction will be steady. And indeed the roots
are solid on this CD.
They
may feel unfamiliar, but at the same time the music
inside has elements you’ll immediately recognize,
even if you’re not sure of the source. This equilibrium
between new and traditional is no easy task, but it
fulfils a purpose: to connect new sound combinations
with the vocabularies of our ancestors. The trio unites
three highly individual and accomplished musical voices.
Composer/percussionist Ravish Momin plays not only
the American trap set here, but the cajon (an Afro-Peruvian
instrument) and the talking drum of West Africa. Violinist
Sam Bardfeld is an incredibly eclectic musician who’s
able to bridge the gap of East and West by employing
a wide range of techniques and sound colors.
The oud is the lute of the Arab world and is also
the ancestor of the European lute. Like Bardfeld,
oudist Brandon Terzic is able to forge a link between
East and West with his instrument, playing wholly
in the Middle Eastern tradition and yet also having
the ability to evoke the blues of the Mississippi
Delta.
All
compositions are by Momin save for Ragalaya, which
is a traditional South Indian song arranged by Momin.
In every tune, all three musicians ebb and flow through
changing roles as accompanists and soloists. Hypnotic
ostinatos from both Terzic and Bardfeld serve as backdrops
for each other’s solos, while Momin provides a rhythmic
underpinning that is steady and yet always adapting
to the other musician’s flights of fancy. At
times the line between what is composed and what is
improvised is blurry due to the incredible cohesion
of this ensemble.
Miren
is a Japanese word that means “a deeply-felt sadness
resulting from a longing for closure on something
from the past.” As the title implies, there is a meditative
quality to this tune despite its angular opening.
What Reward opens with an extended oud solo that breaks
into a blues ostinato reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix.
Momin
and Bardfeld join the groove, and suddenly the aesthetics
of the east are couched in the language of the blues.
Fiza
is heard in two unique versions, one with the addition
of Tanya Kalmanovitch on viola. It is a pensive multi-part
composition that traverses numerous emotional and
textural vistas. In the version with viola (which
closes the disc), trio becomes quartet, and the viola’s
rich, dark voice is brought forth majestically in
Kalmanovitch’s solo.
|
