Live at Abbey Road

Joseph Tawadros is an Australian oud virtuoso who blends the music of his Egyptian heritage with a variety of more contemporary influences: over the last decade he has collaborated with New York jazz musicians, banjo ace Béla Fleck and, on his last album, himself, playing more than 50 different instruments. Live at Abbey Road is comparatively stripped back, with just him on oud and brother James playing riq (tambourine) and bendir (frame drum). The album's title is a little misleading, as this is not a concert recording but a selection of single-take improvisations performed in the famous studio. Half the 29 tracks are around two minutes long and seem more like beautiful sketches, so you may find yourself wanting something more substantial.

But the playing throughout is technically astonishing and the interplay between the two brothers displays extraordinary empathy. Amid this fiery brilliance, it's the reflective pieces like ‘June 14’ that are the most successful and demonstrate Tawadros' emerging maturity as a composer.