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RABIH ABOU-KHALIL / JOACHIM KUHN ~ JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF AN EGG
ENJA 9479 (Barcode: 0637579479290) ~ GERMANY ~ Jazz-World Fusion

Recorded: 2004 Released: 2005

This is a duo album by Lebanese (resident in Germany) oud player / composer Rabih Abou-KhalilFind albums by this artist and German pianist / saxophonist / composer Joachim KuhnFind albums by this artist. They are accompanied by American drummer / percussionist Jarrod CagwinFind albums by this artist and Austrian drummer Wolfgang ReisingerFind albums by this artist (on a couple of tracks). The album presents eight tracks, all of which are co-credited to Abou-Khalil and Kuhn. The music was recorded by the legendary German studio wizard Walter QuintusFind albums by this artist and offers a superb sound quality.

The music is a delicate dialogue between the Middle Eastern musical tradition, which was brought to the attention of the European Jazz community thanks to the extensive activity and recording legacy of Abou-Khalil who moved from Beirut to Munich in 1978, escaping the bloody Lebanese Civil War. Since the early 1990s, Abou-Khalil recorded many wonderful albums for the German EnjaFind albums on this label label, which had a major influence on the European Jazz, combining the Oriental improvising tradition with modern European improvisation. This album is an exquisite example of such cross-cultural amalgam.

Kuhn, who always showed an incredible openness towards all cultural traditions, blends completely seamlessly with the Mediterranean accents, and adds the European accents into the mix, all of which sound completely natural and fit the atmosphere and ambience perfectly.

Overall, this is a superb example of a cross-cultural pollination between these two great musicians, which results in a fascinating Jazz-World Music dialogue, which is of course timeless and everlasting. I have not listened to this music since the time it was released, and it sounds today every bit as exciting as it did some twenty years ago. For fans of Middle-Eastern Jazz explorations, this album is a Holy Grail.
Updated: 09/10/2025Posted: 09/10/2025CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

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