Arts Festival Review: Absolute Arabian NightsReview by Tyler Hersey
Absolute Arabian Nights
Absolute Ensemble with Marcel Khalifé, Bashar Khalifé and Bassam Saba
Michael Fowler Centre
March 6, 2008
The Absolute Ensemble is a small group of classical and jazz musicians who cultivate a progressive edge while honoring
the depth of the eclectic traditions which they explore. Beyond simply using "Arabic" or "Mahler" or "Zappa" as buzzword
ingredients in a trendy musical fusion, the Ensemble pulls emotional resonance from their arrangements of material drawn
from the breadth of world culture.
For Absolute Arabian Nights, conductor and musical director Kristjan Jarvi assembled a program which displayed both the virtuosity of his players
and the soulful and profound nature of Middle Eastern music. Joining the group for the second half of the program was
Lebanese singer and oud (Arabic lute) player Marcel Khalife, a UNESCO Artist for Peace whose stirring songs combine
traditional melodies and instrumentation with lyrical political activism.
The concert began squarely on the jazz fusion side, with several pieces featuring fiery improvisations from Daniel
Schnyder on soprano saxophone and Bassam Saba on the nay, a middle eastern flute. Burping brass and driving electric
bass painted images of modern car traffic filling ancient Tunisian streets, underpinned by exemplary work from Damien
Bassman on drums and April Centrone on various hand percussion instruments.
A fantastic reading of Schnyder's 'Concerto for Nay and Orchestra' revealed both the power and subtlety possessed by the
Ensemble, combining jazz swing rhythms and middle eastern tonality into a piece which recalled the looping fanfare of
klezmer music while providing a wonderful vehicle for solos from violinist Adam Taubitz. At times Jarvi's athletic
conducting style flirted with hip hop dance moves, and the Ensemble as a whole displayed more knee movement than any
classical group I've seen. From Schnyder's spraying squats to the shimmy of the woodwind players and brief appearances
by two traditional belly dancers, the Absolute Ensemble came prepared to get down, even if the crowd preferred to stay
seated.
Khalife's entrance to the stage provided weight and star power, and his every move was warmly received by an audience
obviously familiar with his work. A quiet duet between Khalife and Wellington pianist Donald Nicholson was a moody
contrast to the preceding workouts, with dense chords from the piano providing a slow, rich blanket underneath the
singer's pure vocal tones. The final selection from Khalife's song book - after beginning with an impossibly difficult
audience sing along - built from a simple folk melody into a pulsing, majestic rush.
The wonderful thing about this electrified chamber group is that it can produce a massive wall of sound while remaining
tight and focused. Melodic doubling and harmonies between the clarinet, flute, and violin were spot on even amongst the
quickest flurry of notes, and the percussion section remained firmly in the pocket while navigating slippery time
signatures. The playing from every performer was superb, providing a night of high energy and deep emotion.
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Absolute Arabian Nights on the Arts Festival website
Scoop Full Coverage: Arts Festival 2008