Simon Shaheen's Blue Flame is world fusion with a commercial twist. On this intriguing collection, Shaheen melds Arabic, jazz, Indian, North African Mediterranean, and classical music via his expertise on the oud and violin with compositions that often display congruity with Western pop song structure. "Waving Sands," with its stated melody in the intro and succeeding solo sections, recalls the exhilarating mesh of rock and jazz that such groundbreaking outfits as Weather Report and the Mahavishnu Orchestra championed in ...
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Simon Shaheen's Blue Flame is world fusion with a commercial twist. On this intriguing collection, Shaheen melds Arabic, jazz, Indian, North African Mediterranean, and classical music via his expertise on the oud and violin with compositions that often display congruity with Western pop song structure. "Waving Sands," with its stated melody in the intro and succeeding solo sections, recalls the exhilarating mesh of rock and jazz that such groundbreaking outfits as Weather Report and the Mahavishnu Orchestra championed in the early '70s. Shaheen's interpretation of Sting's "Tea in the Sahara" quickly develops into another captivating exercise of impromptu redefinition of Western music with layers of percussive polyrhythms and extended solos that flourish without obscuring the original motif. In the spirit of crossover appeal, Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens guests on "Silk Tears," a composition that evokes the sadness of a French chanson before exploding into grand moments of improvisation. It's definitely not something one would expect from the pairing of a world-renown Arabic instrumentalist with a guitarist who defined new wave rock in the 1980s; however, the combination of the two certainly captures the euphoric spirit of exploration which underpins each selection on this disc. Experimenting with a myriad of styles and subjects, Shaheen weaves Middle East and Turkish themes into "Olive Harvest," a joyful celebration of village life in his home of Tarshiha. In the track named for his dexterous backing ensemble "Al-Qantara," Shaheen employs heavy flamenco rhythms with complex passages that are lyrical and often play against the beat, implying altered time signatures and multiple key changes. Blue Flame is a cohesive and accessible array of world fusion that will appeal to purists and novices alike. ~ Tom Semioli, Rovi
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Seller's Description:
Fair. All our items come in the original case with artwork, though manuals and slipcovers are not always guaranteed to be included as these items are donated goods and will show some wear and tear from normal use. Jewel cases will be included but may be damaged and/or cracked. We typically resurface discs that are visibly scratched prior to shipping, but we do not test disc(s). Digital codes may not be included and have not been tested to be redeemable and/or active. Thank you for shopping with Goodwill Colorado! Orders shipped Monday through Friday. Safe and Secure Bubble Mailer! Your purchase helps put people to work and learn life skills to reach their full potential. Thank you!
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Seller's Description:
Fiszman/Shaheen/Ste; Shaheen; Sting [1]; Tanrikorur. Good. Used-Good Condition. Some signs of use, but nothing that should affect playback. Includes case and original artwork and liner notes when applicable.
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Seller's Description:
Fine. Disc, jewel case and artwork appear new and unused. Secure bubble mailer packaging. All music ships within 24 hours Monday-Friday. Fast shipping from California.
