Borders Behind

You can understand the youngest of the three Joubran brothers wanting to branch out and record his own album. Le Trio Joubran's recordings are never less than intense affairs and they freely admit that working together in the studio is a testosterone-fuelled experience. By contrast, Borders Behind is more understated and Adnan has deftly avoided the temptation to try too hard. While there's no doubting that he is a ferociously gifted oud player in his own right, the relaxed mood owes much to the small band of collaborators who join him here; most notably cellist Valentine Moussou, who brings a wistful elegance to the original compositions. It's hard to categorise the album's overall sound: at times Jorge Pardo's flute and sax playing nudges everything jazz-wards but then Prabhu Edouard's tabla reins the music back in with admirable poise.

What this recording doesn't have is the rigour and obsessive attention to detail that characterise Le Trio Joubran's CDs. However, this – combined with the absence of moody boy-band photos of Adnan and his brothers – is part of Behind Borders charm.