Jedid

Osama Abdulrasol is a qanun (zither) player and composer whose fusion style blends Middle Eastern, Western classical and jazz influences, that reflect his own history. Born in Babylon, Iraq, into a religious family where music was banned, he could only learn about it by reading. But he went on to become a multi-instrumentalist, playing everything from violin to saxophone, and studied classical guitar in the UK before specialising in the qanun, the traditional Middle Eastern plucked zither. He has worked with everyone from Goran Bregović to Tom Robinson, played in orchestras and won awards in Belgium, where he is based. Now comes the debut album from his quintet, in which he is joined by the soprano singer Helena Schoeters, a versatile accordion player in Philippe Thuriot, a cellist and a percussionist.
The result is a display of fine musicianship that is impressive rather than exciting. The opening ‘Ghazel’ sets the mood, with classical-sounding cello giving way to vocals and then qanun and accordion solos, as influences swing from West to East. ‘Gypsy in Baghdad’ is faster, with swirling qanun work, but much of the set sounds like finely played late night ambient music. There's nothing here to scare the camels.