Oud Classics from Armenia, the Balkans & Middle East

If you are someone who is slightly unsure about Middle Eastern music but would like to dip your toe into the music of the region, then this CD would be an ideal first purchase. Alan Bardezbanian was an American born oud virtuoso of Armenian heritage who died in 2006. He initially learned his craft playing with kef (Armenian dance music) bands. During the 1950s and 60s there were several of these groups in the US, playing on the expatriate community's thriving dinner-dance circuit. In time, they assimilated non-traditional instruments – like guitar, bass and accordion – into their line-up and Bardezbanian uses these on several of this album's tracks.

While some purists may tut that this is not authentic, it does give tracks like the Ottoman classic ‘Nihavent Longa’ and the traditional Greek tune ‘Arapena’ infectious bounce. However, what makes this record so appealing is that these hearty ensemble numbers are balanced by some really delicate oud solos. It may seem surprising that Bardezbanian spent many years immersing himself in the study of Turkish classical music but his own improvisations on the husseini and rast maqam are beautifully structured and show his mastery of the genre.