Prayers Beyond Words

Israel has for years been home to a number of masterful exponents of traditional Arabic, Turkish and Persian instruments such as oud, ney and saz. Through interplay with both Eastern and Western art musics and the many local folk and Jewish liturgical traditions, they have created a dynamic scene that sounds quite unlike any of its neighbours. Step up Amir Perelman, a cello and Turkish bouzouki player. The debut album of his group, the New Song Of Jerusalem Ensemble, has finally received an international release.

The instrumentation of the ensemble – violin, cello, bouzouki, piano, clarinet and percussion – is designed expressly to float between genres, coaxing out lush textures while manifesting influences such as Erik Satie, Oum Kalthoum and wordless Hasidic nigun songs. As with the music of Tunisian oud player Anouar Brahem, it is the sheer beauty and space in the arrangements that get you here. ‘OYa’ala Ya’ala’ is a case in point: starting out with just bouzouki and percussion playing the simple melody over Ofir Tal’s repeated piano phrase, the theme is developed with increasing intricacy until the ecstatic solo section, where violinist Oren Tzur unfurls his notes spectacularly over the hypnotic rhythmic drone like a peacock. The pace is not all stately explorations of mood: ‘The 5th Tov U Meitiv’ is a partly clarinet-driven tango, and OHushi’ is like an up-tempo Eastern jazz workout. But it is on the more meditative, spiritual numbers that the band really excels. A record to make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.