nOUD

Antranig Kzirian is theoudplayer, a Philadelphia-born musician of Armenian extraction who has learned his craft from members of his country's diaspora in the US, and has a day job working in finance and legal. These contemporary characteristics bring a whole host of new influences and perspectives to traditional repertoire. Kzirian is a very skilled player who has studied with masters of the oud (lute) including the much celebrated Ara Dinkjian. On nOUD, Kzirian displays a clean and dexterous style and the album is well produced, with extensive liner notes giving the background to traditional tunes that are mostly played in medleys along with original material.

Kzirian's oud and guitar are almost the only instruments on the album and the sound is dense with little sense of space. Notwithstanding, it's an attractive insight into one of the ways that traditional Armenian music is developing a long way from its home.