Rite of Strings is an unconventional quartet: a santour, a bass, a violin, and a drum (no strings here, but oh well…). Dust and the Moon is the first album by the New York ensemble, which delves into world crossover. It features a pop, even rock rhythm (sometimes a bit heavily emphasised), Persian sound accents (the santour), and harmonies that sway from classical/oriental traditional to jazz.
The core members of the group, Ehsan Matoori (santur), Edward Perez (bass), Eylem Basaldi (violin), and Engin Kaan Günaydın (drums), are joined by the serpentine clarinet of Ismail Lumanovski in a few tracks. Each and everyone of them is a seasoned and top notch instrumentalist.
The melodies are straightforward and catchy, and also very evocative. You can hear for yourself from the first few bars of the first piece on the programme, Dust and the Moon, for example. There is something easy in the deployment of this tune that could be played in a Hollywood production. We sometimes brush against clichés, but the ultra-polished production, as well as the impressive aesthetic and technical quality of the artists’ performance, will ultimately reconcile music lovers. Maybe not the most discerning and demanding when it comes to “world” music, but certainly a good number of curious individuals.
Let’s note a particularly delicate and inspiring interpretation of a Satie Gnossienne, carried by Basaldi’s melancholic violin, contrasted by the luminous droplets of Matoori’s santoor. The arrangement by Edward Perez for santur, violin, doublebass and drums is really well done.
We also really enjoy the jazz interventions scattered throughout the nine tracks, all original compositions by the ensemble members. In the end, here is a proposal that brings a pleasant dose of enjoyment. You can’t be against it.
In that genre, it must be said, but with a distinct personality, the Montreal ensemble Cordâme has been doing very, very well for a good twenty years. Absolutely worth considering if Rite of Strings seems like an enjoyable surprise to you.
Ehsan Matoori (santur)
Edward Perez (bass)
Eylem Basaldi (violin)
Engin Kaan Günaydın (drums)
Guest: Ismail Lumanovski (clarinet)
