So Far We Have Come

English multi-instrumentalist Elliott teams up with Egyptian oud player Elazhary on this absorbing and beautiful set combining the folk cultures of both countries. Elliott met Elazhary while in Cairo, exploring Arabic music and grazing Cairo’s live music scene. The album title reflects on “the distance and barriers we have overcome to create this work together,” according to Elliott. Its tracks comprise a marriage of equals between old English dance tunes and Arabic classical and folk idioms, and there are multiple crossing points between the two cultures. Opener, ‘In the Grey of the Morning’, samples birds and waves that spread under Archie Churchill-Moss’ guitar, Daniel Gouly’s clarinet, Elliott’s harp and the flurry of Elazhary’s oud, which strikes out powerful lead lines on the following ‘El Hara’, shapeshifting against Elliott’s quartertone accordion. The contemplative title-track is led by Elliott’s accordion, while the tune set ‘The Returning Light/Late Frost’ features an excellent turn from fiddler Sam Sweeney. Two improvisational taqasim pieces are high points. The first, ‘Taqasim Nahawand’ features Elliott’s harp in close-up, set against a sombre string backing, while ‘Taqasim Bayati’ captures Elazhary’s oud at its most expressive. And don’t miss Egyptian singer Laila Samy’s turn on ‘Amy Abu El Fanous’ (The Lantern Bearer). A brilliant and effective musical fusion.