Reviews

Poland-Pakistan: Music Without Borders

Karolina Cicha & Shafqat Ali Khan

Nine Languages, the debut CD of Polish singer Karolina Cicha was an award-winning disc in which she sang songs in...

Reviewed in issue Aug/Sep/2016

Amalgam

Amjad, Amaan & Ayaan Ali Khan & Elmira Darvarova

Ever since Ravi Shankar and Yehudi Menuhin recorded the violin and sitar duos of West Meets East in the 1960s,...

Reviewed in issue Aug/Sep/2016

Osmosis

Tafahum

The opening track ‘Wiladah’ (perhaps named after the renowned poetess from 11th century Andalusian Córdoba) sounds like Frank Zappa and...

Reviewed in issue Aug/Sep/2016

Via Maris

Melange

Melange are an eight-piece ensemble formed by cellist Shirley Smart following a ten-year period living and working in Jerusalem soaking...

Reviewed in issue Aug/Sep/2016

Carpe Afternoon

Loco Ironico

Loco Ironico are vocalist Joe Cang and pianist Matteo Saggese. I know nothing about these men although photos on the...

Reviewed in issue Aug/Sep/2016

One Takes

Daymé Arocena

Authenticity is impossible to manufacture. Daymé Arocena might be only 24, but she has a soul and a sensuousness belying...

Reviewed in issue Aug/Sep/2016

The Fruited Thorn

Kaela Rowan

Formerly the singer with Gaelic band Mouth Music for several groundbreaking albums in the 90s before joining ‘acid croft’ pioneers...

Reviewed in issue Aug/Sep/2016

Japanistan

Kengo Saito

This recording by Paris-based instrumentalist Kengo Saito appears to occupy a niche of one, being a cross-section of music from...

Reviewed in issue Aug/Sep/2016

Sunshine Seas

New Zion

The prolific conservatory-trained musical polymath from Queens, New York is back with another new project. Quite apart from countless sessions...

Reviewed in issue July/2016

Vintage K-Pop Revisited

Baeshi Bang

A French quintet offering modern jazz-influenced instrumental covers of the songs of a Korean crooner? Even the theoretical infinite monkeys...

Reviewed in issue July/2016