Thursday, January 19, 2012

CD Review: Istiklal Trio's Self-Titled Release From Israel

Istiklal Trio
Istiklal Trio
High Fidelity
 
The instrumental music of Istiklal Trio is appealing, energetic, and contemplative--all at the same time. The trio is Yaniv Taichman (oud, guitar), Ariel Qassis (kanun), and Noa Vax (percussion). The modern trio does not incorporate dance-club tunes or electronic compositions notable in the trance world. Instead, the Trio performs renditions of classical pieces with up-to-date song structures perfect for fans of improvisational music, world music, folk music, instrumental music, and percussion. The scintillating rhythms reflect a South Asian, South American, and Central Asian sensibility with the charm of the Middle East thrown in for good measure. The fourteen tracks contain a few taqsims--Arabic maqams--and one rendition of the Godfather movie theme. The Trio makes instrumental music interesting and lively enough without resorting to banal rhythms and mindless melodies. Each instrument is given plenty of air-time throughout. Let Istiklal Trio ignite the musical passion in all of us. ~ Matthew Forss

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