This one may be my personal favorite of this batch of demos, as it embodies very well the overall spirit and vibe of the new project .It’s an up and funky piece, with some back and forth on distortion-shred oud and gritty funk jazz Tele tones.
Ex says its Hendrix + 80s Miles meet up in Beirut. Title and fridge magnets courtesy of my son.
The music of Rabindranath Tagore inexplicably runs deep for me. I’ve often remarked that the right Tagore song with the right Tagore singer can make me want to quit music, because it can be so perfect that nothing more needs to be said. However, I’ve felt I’ve had something to say with this one.
I’ve lived with it over the years, absorbing it until I felt ready with a right approach. A bluesy Hendrix/Trower/Prince vibe seemed to match the longing, yearning nature of the lyric and the long bends in the melody.
This version features a different instrumentation composite for the ostinato loop and a short fretless guitar solo as well as featuring a lovely growly, singing Gretsch Jet. Saidi rhythm, Nawathar maqam.
This tune puts the oud in a freer jazz context, but it still keeps its traditional feel I hope, still feels very oud-ish. It is an interesting space and challenge to bridge both worlds with an authenticity to each, but I think this does it.