Rabih Abou Khalil Group

Jazz

The musicians

Rabih Abou Khalil – Oud

Gabriele Mirabassi – Clarinet

Luciano Biondini – accordion

Gavino Murgia – vocals

Michel Godard – tuba

Jarrod Gagwin – drums, frame drums

The Songs

Ma Muse M’abuse

Morton’s Foot

Il Ritorno del Languore

Lobotomie Mi Baba Lu

L’histoire d’un Parapluie

O Papaia Balerina

De. Gieler’s Wiener Schnitzel

Il Sopiro

Hopping Jack

Waltz for Dubbya
The Return of the Maltese Chicken

Morton’s Foot

After his solo album “Il sospiro”, which was enthusiastically received by both music critics and listeners, Rabih Abou-Khalil has turned once again towards a group sound. The winner of numerous awards (most recently the “German Critics’ Award” for his lifetime achievement), Rabih Abou-Khalil, composer, oud player and bandleader, has just recorded an album Morton’s Foot which includes number of his compositions. All of them carry his distinctive signature in their stylistic originality, yet are unmistakably fresh and progressive.

This is a group of highly motivated musical personalities who have fused their sound so well after years of playing together, that one gets the impression of hearing a single multi-timbred musician. They react intuitively to each other, overflowing with sparkling humour and profound musicality. As always, Abou-Khalil uses the same successful strategy of producing a record. The first stage is undertaken on a long tour during which the band fine-tunes the complicated compositions to musical perfection. The final result is then recording the music in the studio.

This is singer Gavino Murgia’s first recording with Abou-Khalil. Coming from <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 /> Sardinia , he is deeply rooted in the musical tradition of his country, and sings such a low bass, that one can hardly imagine how this is possible without the help of electronics. He has the most natural feel for rhythm. The unbelievably precise rhythm that he sings with the tuba swings so naturally, that one can almost imagine that all he has done up until now has been merely a preparation for this meeting.

Once more, Abou-Khalil’s long-time companion, French tuba star Michel Godard, is the rhythmic backbone of the band. With each new recording he sparkles with infinite ideas. It is quite amazing, how he can make his cumbersome instrument sound agile, feather light, swing and sway, which defy expectation.

The Italian clarinetist, Gabriele Mirabassi from  Perugia , who featured on Abou-Khalil’s CD “The Cactus of Knowledge”, once more sets new standards in playing his instrument, musically as well as technically. His Mediterranean origins are unmistakable whether he is playing a longing and soulful ballad, or improvising at break neck speed. Equally at home in the classical music as well as in jazz, he is considered to be one of the leading masters of the clarinet.

The accordionist Luciano Biondini from  Spoleto ,  Italy , has already won almost every international award for his playing. His performance bristles with Mediterranean fire and charm. Whoever hears his warm sound and his absolute rhythmic command quickly forgets and prejudices he might have had against the “squeeze-box”. Although he has been part of his group for over three years now, this is his first recording with Rabih Abou-Khalil.

Jarrod Cagwin, the young American drummer from  Iowa , is once again part of the ensemble. Jarrod has taken extended trips to all corners of the world to expand his repertoire. In  Turkey , he studied Middle Eastern drum styles, in  Africa ; he searched every corner on the lookout for lost drum languages and then to  Andalusia  and  India . He has subsequently entered all of this into Abou-Khalil’s music.