The First Ten Years

The three brothers Samir, Wissam and Adnan who make up Le Trio Joubran are undoubtedly the crown princes of the ‘new oud style. Their tasteful blend of Arab classical music, subtle minimalism and a hint of improvisation embodies the new direction that the instrument is taking in the hands of the new generation of confident young players. The Joubran sound is unique; partly because an oud trio is something of a novelty in Middle Eastern music but more significantly because their extraordinary sense of ensemble gives the music an intense fluency that is rarely matched. The trio’s albums have always stood out for the stylish presentation and moody imagery but this lavish box-set of five CDs and a bonus DVD takes things to a jaw-dropping level. It’s all so sleek that you wonder whether a producer, a fashion designer or a curator was involved in its creation. Everything but the bonus DVD has been available before; nonetheless, it is interesting to hear how the group’s playing has developed over the last decade and, even to someone who knows the group’s work well, there are forgotten moments of beauty. The most recent recording, AsFâr, still stands out as their finest yet; an almost perfect balance of poise and self-assurance. By contrast, the earlier releases, whilst always full of promise, lacked that vital coherence. The soundtrack to Karim Dridi’s film Le Dernier Vol, on which Joubran was joined by a string section, offers a welcomed contrast: it’s only a pity that it initially enjoyed only limited release outside France. The DVD includes some specially filmed performances, studio sequences and an interview with the boys.

As you might expect from a group that releases such a monolith to mark its tenth anniversary, there are some rather self-regarding moments. But they just about manage to save themselves from pseud’s corner with a delightful bout of fraternal rivalry over who is the better fisherman. Le Trio Joubran are well worth celebrating. We’ll just have to hope that the next ten years live up to the expectations raised by this auspicious retrospective.