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Kayhan Kalhor & Ali Akbar Moradi
IN THE MIRROR OF THE SKY
(World Village)
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Kayhan Kalhor is perhaps Iran’s best known musician these days, having earned Grammy nominations, notably for his work with the cross-cultural ensemble Ghazal. On this moody, beautiful album, he delves into his Kurdish roots, revealing an entrancing world of Sufi trance, mystical longing, and stunning musicianship. Kalhor’s kamancheh (spike fiddle) sets the mood, whispering overtones in introductory passages and crying with a sure, rich, almost human voice as these pieces from the Kurdish tanbur repertoire unfold. The tanbur, played by Ali Akbar Moradi, is a jangly, long-necked lute; it’s capable of sounding like a Turkish saz when strummed or a North Indian sarod when played melodically. Some of these 10 pieces also feature the pattering rhythms of the tombak (goblet drum) played by Pejman Hadadi, and Moradi sings almost ritualistically on two tracks. But the soul of this intimate, at times ecstatic recording is the interaction between the two string instruments. At times, Kalhor plucks in order to blend with the rapid cycles Moradi picks out, but mostly he bows soulful melodies underpinned by the highly rhythmic, metallic timbre of the tanbur. The session culminates in a swirling dance that conjures visions of whirling dervishes. Chill-out music doesn’t get much classier than this.
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