Pi Rec. 
Amir ElSaffar : Two Rivers (IQ/IR/IND,2007)****'
Two streams refer to the two streams located in Iraq reminding us of older regions/empires around it like Sumeria/Babylonia/Mesopotamia, and its rich culture that was divided at some times like after the crusades, but also by the conflicting stream itself. The land now is suffering from being much too long under the supervision of the Americans, so that the country now is flooded in other streams, in chaos. The two streams refer also to Amir’s own blood origins (American/Iraqi), and as well to the two streams of musical styles (jazz & Iraqi traditional music styles like the maqam singing). This Maqam singing is a vocal tradition with improvisation around certain melodic and rhythmic schemes. A few times a traditional complaint of a poem is started with singing and santur in this maqam style, and these are well understood and adapted by trumpet or sax (the Indian Rudesh Mahanthappa) which transforms them smoothly from Arab to Jazz modes with occasional free bop elements, contra-elements and lots of interesting, intelligent movement that makes the perfect melting point, as two streams melting together because they have a unity by their expression. The crossover possibilities come to life spontaneously and skilfully they show the best of each world with cooperation vision. Recommended !!
