Betrayal of a Sacred Sunflower

The oud player and composer Joseph Tawadros has worked tirelessly over the last decade to move his instrument into new musical areas. Recent projects have seen him collaborating with symphony orchestras and New York contemporary jazz stars, but Betrayal of a Sacred Sunflower is a more understated affair, with only a small ensemble of excellent musicians accompanying him on piano, violin, electric guitar and occasional trombone.

The oud and electric guitar seldom seem to marry together well and it's testament to Tawadros’ musical judgement that the spare textures created here allow his inventive improvisations to blossom. It's high praise to compare the album's wistful mood to Anouar Brahem's ravishing Le Pas du Chat Noir; however, there are also moments of genuine fun and anyone doubting the oud's ability to be a groovy funk-machine need only listen to ‘On the Flipside’. The only grumble is that Tawadros has chosen to set up his oud so the lower strings consistently buzz on certain notes: while this sounds effective and almost sitar-like in some instances, it can also start to niggle. But nonetheless, this is a delightful recording.