Usually, when oud player Anouar Brahem works with a small ensemble, he shares the spotlight with another soloist who mirrors his slow and careful style, regardless of their instrument, while other musicians provide a textural rhythmic foundation.
It’s what soprano saxophonist / bass clarinetist John Surman did with double-bassist Dave Holland on 1998’s Thimar; what clarinetist Barbaros Erköse did with bendir / darbouka player Lassad Hosni on 2000’s Astrakan Café; and what bass clarinetist Klaus Gesing did with bassist Björn Meyer and bendir / darbouka player Khaled Yassine on 2009’s The Astounding Eyes Of Rita. And the results were beautiful; moody, atmospheric, and haunting.
But on his new album, After The Last Sky (CD, digital), Brahem — and, more importantly, his collaborator, violoncellist Anja Lechner — breaks with tradition, and while fans of those moodier / jazzier albums might not love it, especially those who aren’t big on classical strings, the results are still rather interesting.