Hope in an Empty City

Recorded in New York before the onset of COVID-19, this latest album by Egyptian/Australian oud virtuoso Joseph Tawadros is a rollercoaster of styles and emotions. Composed especially for a new multidisciplinary quintet, the ensemble pieces on Hope in an Empty City crackle with organic energy and dynamism. The synergy between the musicians is immediately evident on thrilling opener ‘Smoke and Mirrors’, with the jazz rhythm section of Scott Colley (double bass) and Dan Weiss (drums) effortlessly navigating Tawadros’ kaleidoscopic grooves and unison passages. Fusion luminary David Fiuczynski's chiming guitar swells and crystalline fretless lines lend a cinematic intensity – often akin to early 70s Mahavishnu Orchestra – especially on the mutant blues riffs of ‘Devil's Advocate’. Jordanian violinist Layth Sidiq is the perfect melodic foil for Tawadros, their shared background in Arabic music preserving the quarter-tonal nature of pieces such as the brooding title-track, and the spiralling ‘Dance of the Quarter Tones’.

Interspersed among the ensemble pieces are solo oud improvisations, developed under lockdown, which lend the album its more contemplative moments. A particular highlight is the wistful ‘Happier Times’, a joyful yet bittersweet meditation that sits comfortably between the more frenetic compositions. At 17 tracks totalling 78 minutes, this album is an exhaustive listen, but one that offers no weak moments, rather an abundance of virtuosity, playfulness and heart.