COMPOSERS: Gilad Atzmon & the Orient House Ensemble
LABELS: Enja
PERFORMER: Gilad Atzmon & the Orient House Ensemble
CATALOGUE NO: TIP 888 844-2
Israeli born but London resident GILAD ATZMON is a politically conscious artist whose views on the hostilities in the Middle East go straight to the heart of Exile.
Arguing for a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on equality and the Palestinian right of return he uses Jewish and Arabic folk themes, swirling Coltrane-inspired modal jazz and hypnotic vocals in one of the most exhilarating and passionate jazz albums in years.
This politically charged disc is realised through the emotional passion of its musicians. ‘Al-Quds’ is an ironic Arabic interpretation of an Israeli tune that became the anthem of the 1967 Arab/ Israeli war, while ‘Jenin’, dedicated to the refugee camp devastated by the Israeli army, uses a Jewish tune that deliberately evokes memories of the Warsaw Ghetto and Auschwitz.
Atzmon’s soprano solo is of such haunting and unsettling beauty that it alone is worth the price of the album.