ANOUAR BRAHEM - Khomsa (1995) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Khomsa is the heroine in the movie Bezness, and also inspires one of many musical themes from Tunisian films and theater documented on this CD. Oud player Anouar Brahem has performed these pieces across a decade with different ensembles, but for the first time they were recorded in one studio setting. The instrumentation varies in size and de-emphasizes Brahem's role as a frontman. In fact, upon listening, this could just as easily be credited under the direction of the brilliant accordionist Richard Galliano, for his role is heard more often as the lead instrument. The musicians combine here and there with the dynamic ECM signature rhythm team of bassist Palle Danielsson and drummer Jon Christensen, or in certain instances pianist François Couturier, violinist Bechir Selmi, and on rare occasion soprano saxophonist Jean Marc Larché. The themes are luxurious, rich, beautiful, and organic, with no wasted motion or excesses, and there is a feeling of being on a journey. Galliano's solo "Comme un Depart," the solo oud of Brahem in "L'Infini Jour," and Selmi's "Regard de Mouette" get the caravan slowly started. "Claquent les Voiles" sports Brahem's mysterious Middle Eastern lines and chords with the masterful bassist and drummer, while "Vague" is hymnal in Galliano's ability to stretch long tied notes with his bellows. Couturier is a delicate stylist, matching theological timbres on "Vague," and working in tandem with Brahem during "Seule" and on the light 6/8 rhythm of "Nouvelle Vague" with Galliano. He also plays a little synthesizer, specifically during the circular "Un Sentier d'Alliance" aside overdubbed echoed piano and soprano sax. Most of the collective play on "Ain Ghazel," a sensitive and sensual musical sketch, features contrasting soprano sax from Larché, atypically animated drumming by Christensen, and Brahem's pensive oud as the period on a sentence. "Souffle un Vent de Sable" shows a group design in breathing, balanced tones led by Galliano, and Brahem coming in after the fact with the bass and drums. The title track displays a unified whole in the ECM spirit with Brahem, Galliano, Couturier, and Danielsson. Closest to jazz is "Des Rayons et des Ombres," a fast trio number with Galliano and the rhythm section approaching bop. "Comme une Absence" concludes the project with two overdubbed violin tracks from Selmi. The buyer should be aware that the personnel listed on the booklet cover does not reflect the entire combo at any one time. Otherwise, this is a beautiful contemporary statement reflecting the cinematic forms Brahem loves, mixed with European classical and improvisational sensibilities, professionally rendered, and well within the tradition of world jazz and the clean ECM concept. by Michael G. Nastos  
Tracklist:
1  Comme Un Départ 3:34
Composed By – Richard Galliano
2  L'Infini Jour  7:32
3  Souffle Un Vent De Sable 10:05
Composed By – Brahem, Christensen, Danielsson, Galliano
4  Regard De Mouette  1:54
5  Sur I'Infini Bleu  5:51
6  Claquent Les Voiles  2:05
7  Vague  2:34
8  E La Nave Va  4:39
9  AÏn Ghazel  7:31
10  Khomsa  6:57
11  Seule  3:35
12  Nouvelle Vague  2:33
13  En Robe D'Olivier  2:40
14  Des Rayons Et Des Ombres 8:27
Composed By – Christensen, Danielsson, Galliano
15  Un Sentier D'Alliance  2:36
16  Comme Une Absence  3:14
Credits:
Accordion – Richard Galliano
Composed By – Anouar Brahem
Double Bass – Palle Danielsson
Drums – Jon Christensen
Oud – Anouar Brahem
Piano, Synthesizer – François Couturier
Producer – Manfred Eicher
Soprano Saxophone – Jean Marc Larché
Violin – Bechir Selmi

RICHARD GALLIANO - Bach (2010) Mp3

French accordionist and bandoneon player Richard Galliano has spent much of his career demonstrating that his instruments can be employed not only in the service of folk music, but also to play jazz. His long tenure on Dreyfus Records was spent in that endeavor, but with Deutsche Grammophon, the venerable classical label, he naturally takes a different tack, here adapting himself to the demands of Johann Sebastian Bach. The substitution of accordion for keyboard instruments, notably in the three-part Concerto for Harpsichord, Strings, and Continuo No. 5 in F Minor, BWV 1056 and Contrepoint 1 -- L'Art de la Fugue en Ré Majeur, BWV 1080, is a natural, yet Galliano does not stop there. He also replaces the violin in the three-part Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor, BWV 1041 and the Concerto for Violin, Oboe, and Strings in D Minor, BWV 1060; the cello in the "Prélude" movement of the Suite for Cello Solo No. 1 in G, BWV 1007; and the flute in the "Allemande" section of the Partita for Solo Flute in A Minor, BWV 1013. These pieces written for strings and a reed require a fluidity of playing that Galliano succeeds in reproducing on his keys. And there are gains in his choice of instrument, notably in the slow "Largo" movement of the harpsichord concerto, since the accordion's notes have a longer decay than those for the harpsichord, giving greater resonance to the music. Galliano is ably accompanied by a chamber orchestra consisting of two violins (Jean-Marc Phillips-Varjabédian and Sébastien Surel), viola (Jean-Marc Apap), cello (Raphaël Pidoux), and bass (Stéphane Logerot). But they only provide support, and often they drop out entirely as Galliano re-creates the majesty of Bach's music on his accordion, proving its worth as a formal instrument, just as he has previously as a jazz axe. by William Ruhlmann  

RICHARD GALLIANO - Nino Rota (2011) Mp3

It's hard to tell from the packaging, but these are not straight performances of melodies from Nino Rota's film scores but jazz versions of them, with French accordionist Richard Galliano in the lead role. That's not a stretch: Rota's tunes are full of dance and circus elements that need only a bit of a rhythmic push to cross over into jazz, and Galliano's group handles the transitions subtly and cleverly. Moreover, his program is beautifully sequenced and contains some marvelously odd items such as the "Il matto sul filo" (The Fool on the Wire) from La Strada, track 9. He includes a couple of famous pieces from The Godfather, including the Love Theme, which work well in two ways: the better known the piece, the more liberty Galliano can take with it melodically, and he also draws the interesting connection between Rota's Godfather music and those of his films of the 1950s with Federico Fellini, with a few tracks from the serious 1960s films Otto e mezzo (8 1/2) and La Dolce Vita as interludes. All these pieces present visions of Italian popular culture, inflected in different ways. This was Rota's genius: his music seemed simple and sentimental, but it was actually a flexible language that could comment both the attractions and the grotesque dangers of mass culture. Rota's music, some of it now almost 75 years old, has stood the test of time, and one of the marks of its greatness is that it not only can stand up to but invites a variety of treatments, such as this fine jazz reading. by James Manheim  

RICHARD GALLIANO - Vivaldi (2013) Mp3

At first blush, Richard Galliano's performance of Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons may seem to be a novelty recording, but to describe it that way would be a disservice to his extraordinary virtuosity and impressive comprehension of the music. The accordion may not be to everyone's liking, as its status in both popular and classical music has always been subject to taste, but no one could seriously question this French accordionist's prodigious abilities with the instrument, which he treats as nimbly and as expressively as a violin. Of course, choosing Vivaldi's greatest hit as a vehicle is a pretty safe bet to attract a new audience, and Galliano seems to relish the opportunity to make this perennial favorite a part of the accordion's repertoire. This is Galliano's second album of classical music on Deutsche Grammophon, following his 2010 Bach album, and while he is perhaps better known for his recordings of jazz standards and film themes, most notably on his 2011 CD of the music of Nino Rota, his affection for Baroque masterpieces is sincere and it shows in his meticulous playing. For filler Galliano also performs arias from Vivaldi operas Il Giustino and Arsilda, regina di Ponto, backed by continuo. But as attractive as these pieces are, most listeners will return again and again to hear the Four Seasons, which is a tour de force for the instrument. by Blair Sanderson  

RICHARD GALLIANO - Mozart (2016) Mp3