Album Notes

Reviews:
Irish Times, Friday 1st December 2005

"Born in Lebanon, based here (Ireland) for years, guitarist and composer Sami Moukaddem draws fruitfully on his Middle Eastern heritage to create this fascinating jazz hybrid. It's a seamless union; neither the compositions nor the performances depend on exoticism to make an impact. Leading a superior quintet of Brendan Doyle (alto/tenor/clarinet), Myles Drennan (percussion/piano), Fadi Hatoum (darbuka/daff) and Jose Carlos Flores (electric bass), with drummer Stephen Keogh guesting on two tracks, Moukaddem takes them through a rhythmically beguilling set of pieces to enjoyable effect. If Moukaddem's affinity for the material is a given, Doyle's is remarkable. He's in brilliant form here, constantly conjuring up improvisations that seem woven indissolubly from the evocative fabric of the guitarist's originals. One to savour."
- Ray Comiskey.


Sunday Tribune, 13th November 2005

"Irish-based Lebanese guitarist Sami Moukaddem continues his quest to unite the music of his homeland with jazz. To assist him, he has recruited two of Ireland's finest jazz musicians, pianist Myles Drennan and saxophonist Brendan Doyle, as well as percussionist Fadi Hatoum and bassist Jose Carlos Flores. Blending traditional Arabic grooves with contemporary jazz harmony, Moukaddem has crafted a fascinating album, reminiscent of similar blends by Rabih Abou-Khalil and Gilad Atzmon, and Doyle, in particular, rises to the occasion."
- Cormac Larkin