Mugham Souls

Gochag Askarov is a top singer of mugham, the sophisticated vocal tradition of Azerbaijan. Although recorded in concert in Baku's excellent International Mugham Centre, this isn't a traditional mugham performance but an intriguing collaboration with French jazz singer Pierre de Trégomain, singing in English, French and Azeri. There is some history of mugham-jazz and this is one of the most successful examples. The accompanying musicians are a typical mugham ensemble of bowed kamancha, plucked tar, naghara kettle drums and other percussion, plus a grand piano – not typical in mugham.
Trégomain has been coached in mugham singing by Askarov, although he is not attempting to sing mugham here. What he's doing is bringing in a new ingredient of both composed and improvised music. On ‘Let Me Be Voice – Bayati Kurd', Trégomain enters first with a high plaintive tone, then Askarov takes over with such a similar tone that you hardly notice the difference – it's only the language that gives it away. Although Trégomain then also starts singing in Azeri, so an overlapping polyphonic texture develops. Subsequent songs in English and French sound rather more contrived and the final ‘All Stars’ track contains jazz solos and ‘dooby-dooby’ vocals, which are frankly irritating. Still, this is a remarkable achievement.