Live in Berlin

Conceived during the 2011 Syrian uprising, and recorded in concert ten years later in Berlin, this set of pieces by clarinettist/composer Kinan Azmeh are his deeply personal expressions of anger, grief and hope in times of atrocity. Accompanied by three musicians from his adopted home of New York City, Azmeh’s CityBand quartet is a unique cross-section of Arab-jazz, infused with the raucous energy of downtown avant-garde. The rhythm section of Josh Myers (bass) and John Hadfield (drums) is exceptionally tight, and Kyle Sanna’s lightly overdriven guitar lines are virtuosic yet well-considered. ‘The Queen Commanded’ opens with stark, brooding guitar, Azmeh’s clarinet building unhurriedly from a sigh to a wail. As its conception implies, there’s a true sense of melancholy permeating much of the set, though this is contrasted by moments of playfulness. Not least on the blazing closer ‘Wedding’, which sees Azmeh and Sanna navigating frenetic unison lines in perfect sync – a riotous end to a dynamic and exciting set.