Born in Parallel

Double bassist and composer Daphna Sadeh is not the first bandleader to draw inspiration from the common ground between early Western classical music and a mix of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influences. Born in Parallel is a four-part concert suite performed by a group of improvising instrumentalists, supported by an ensemble of musicians well-known on the British baroque music circuit. Movements, each named after one of the four classical elements, unfold with varied themes – pastoral melodies and dainty marches in ‘Fire’, for example – that are stitched together to create a gentle, rambling whole. The album's strengths are its ancient-modern sound-world and the instrumental performances from leading players, most notably oud player Frank Moon and flautist and saxophonist Stuart Curtis.

These qualities come together in the jazzy first half of ‘Water’, where the swinging theme is enhanced by probing solos from Curtis’ saxophone, trombonist Mark Bassey and Sadeh herself. It is here that the unusual ensemble forces combine most effectively to create a distinctive sound: bubbling strings and woozy woodwinds. Elsewhere, Sadeh's music lacks thematic movement and meanders too much, leaving a sense that conductor David Murphy, who also orchestrated the work, is driving the music on, rather than the score itself.