Oriental Oud-Lute-“CD Album:No.01-Track07”MHD.HAJOU-محمدهاجو

Oriental Oud-Lute-“CD Album:No.01-Track 05

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ratatoskm15:

Oud Artistry of John Berberian 1965 

More virtuoso oud playing from this Armenian-American player.

Record Fiend said;

The equally magnificent follow-up to Expressions East, Oud Artistry of John Berberian consists of tracks recorded during the sessions that ultimately yielded material for both albums. The first LP was a hit having sold in excess of 50,000 copies, and Mainstream Records was eager to continue this success, although they changed their sales tactics somewhat. While the artwork on Expressions depicts a belly dancer (it was common for many records of this genre to exploit the cheesecake factor), the cover of Oud Artistry actually focuses on the musician, or more specifically the musician’s instrument. As Ravi Shankar and his ubiquitous sitar were becoming more popular in the West, Mainstream was hoping the same phenomenon would occur with John Berberian and the oud, and that this, in turn, would lead to even greater record sales for the label.

Berberian and ensemble launch right into things with the propulsive opening track, “Azziza,” which features some lightning runs on the oud and driving polyrhythms throughout the performance. “Bir-Demet Yasemen” has more of a stop-and-go beat and provides kanun player Jack Chalikian an opportunity to show off his chops. “Sevan 5/4” is an Armenian instrumental standard that was also recorded by Kaleidoscope as “Sefan” during the sessions for their eponymous third album (akaIncredible!). (Although not included on that LP, it appeared as a track on the Egyptian Candy retrospective from the early 1990s.) Despite the different arrangements, both versions compare favorably with each other. “Savgulum” is the highlight of the album’s first side and one of the best all-around examples of belly dance music at its finest. Despite my inability to understand Bob Tashjian’s vocals, the conspicuous emotional power of his singing needs no translation. Berberian lays down an absolutely scorching oud solo which is expertly complemented by Souren Baronian’s wailing clarinet and more first-rate kanun work. “Yarus” has a gentle and introspective quality to it with more of a focus on the singer than the instrumentalists. “Sevasda” picks up where “Savgulum” leaves off. The interplay between Berberian’s blazing oud leads and Chalikian’s kanun playing is nothing short of stunning. I’ve been playing this one over and over as I write this entry. The intensity of “Sevasda” is nicely balanced by the mellow “Rast Taksim,” a starkly beautiful solo oud improvisation that will echo in your brain for days. The concluding piece, “Rast Sazsemi,” is reminiscent of the music heard in the courts of Ottoman nobility in the days of old.

Oriental Oud-BY :MHD.HAJOU  track 04

Oriental Oud TRACK 03 -BY:Mhd.HAJOU 

islamandart:

The Asad Pasha caravanserai in the old quarter of Damascus, Syria

chicken-and-rice:

The Damascus Room. 

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 

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“CD Album:No.01-Track02 “