Michael Patrick Brady

My review of Amir ElSaffar’s Two Rivers ran today at PopMatters.

Blending the vibrant and vital sound of American avant-garde jazz and the centuries-old Iraqi music of maqam, ElSaffar and his group have created a stirring tribute to the titular bodies of water, the Tigris and the Euphrates. The confluence of these disparate styles isn’t turbulent or choppy.

Instead, they seamlessly flow together and enhance one another, making Two Rivers more than just a experiment at fusion. ElSaffar’s mastery and respect of both maqam and jazz, his sincere love of the music of his Iraqi ancestors and of his American countrymen, prevents the album from being merely a showy affectation of ethnic modes.

Two Rivers is powerful, not merely because it’s a slice of commanding music from talented and spirited musicians, but also because of the message embedded within it. In my review, I touch upon the significance of those rivers, the importance of the Tigris and Euphrates, not just in the Arabic world but in the whole of human history. ElSaffar’s music explores their place and meaning and communicates it to the listener not through facts and blunt statements but through passion and emotion.

Amir ElSaffar – Two Rivers at Amazon