Search - Anouar Brahem, John Surman, Dave Holland :: Thimar

Welcome into the smoky wine bar of intimacy.

01/15/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This sedate jamming session brings together three diverse cultures under the compositions of Anour Brahem. We are introduced to their instruments with the track, Badhra, preparing us for the magic to come and later, the perfect marriage of instruments with the relaxing melody of Mazad. Each musician has a turn to spellbound us with their talents. Waqt begins with an intro by Surman while Qurb gives us the best of Dave Holland. Brahem manages to throw himself into a Middle-Eastern frenzy as Al Hizam Al Dhahbi has you up and dancing. When they come together, Uns is the result, sounding like an improvised set as they play off eachother, welcoming you into the smoky wine bar of intimacy. At the end of it all, Hulmu Rabia leaves you with a melancholy feel, wishing for more, therefore setting your CD player on a loop for another round trip of THIMAR."

World music at the best

07/29/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"It's real World music with 3 great performers and a talentuous composer"

Meditative and muscular

08/04/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"How can you go wrong with Dave Holland anyway? The lack of percussion gives everything a studied, chamber-music feel but Holland keeps a swing and solidity under it. Brahem's composiions are gorgeous and lush and Surman sounds wonderfully oblique -- especially oblique -- banish all thoughts of Garbarek's cheesy sound intruding in on Zakir Hussain's "Making Music" (for example)."