RABIH ABOU-KHALIL — JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF AN EGG (review)

RABIH ABOU-KHALIL — JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF AN EGG album cover Album · 2005 · World Fusion Buy this album from MMA partners
3.5/5 ·
Sean Trane
Among RA-K's abundant discography, there are some (many?) albums that sound relatively similar (rather inevitable) but Journey To The Centre Of The Egg is one of those that stands out a bit from the "norm". You can already tell with/by the more discreet white artwork gracing its sleeve, and that only three musicians (including Rabih) intervening, with just one guest drummer on two successive tracks.

Still very much acoustic and instrumental, the general feel remains ethnic-jazz, mainly due to Rabih's oud and the scales used in the compositions. Note that this trio does not feature bass, but this is precisely why this yolk tastes different from the rest of the Egg's centre. Kühn 's piano is certainly very much and asset, and when he's not fondling the keys, he's sometime blowing into an alto sax, which fits the album's ambiance without being either disruptive or repetitive. Cagwin's drum sound is part of the excellent production job of the now- habitual Walter Quintus, and it adds much depth to the soundscapes of the album. The album's apex is the eccentric Mango, but it ends rather abruptly. For the rest, the "ethnic" flavour in this Egg is probably tandoori, because there are a few Indian raga moments, most notably in the longer pieces. As with many of RA-K's album, there is a dissonant piece and inn the cazse, it's not served in Plastic Cups.

While the album is still a typical RA-K work, Journey does stand out a bit, but one can still think of ECM-label jazz products even if the Oregon comparisons are a little harder to bridge. So if you're looking to have more than one of his album, but want to avoid the unpleasant feeling that you've bought the same one twice, this is an excellent second choice.



Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Jazz Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

JMA TOP 5 Jazz ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
A Love Supreme Post Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
Kind of Blue Cool Jazz
MILES DAVIS
Buy this album from our partners
The Black Saint and the Sinner Lady Progressive Big Band
CHARLES MINGUS
Buy this album from our partners
Blue Train Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners
My Favorite Things Hard Bop
JOHN COLTRANE
Buy this album from our partners

New Jazz Artists

New Jazz Releases

Horizons Held Close Jazz Related Improv/Composition
TRANCE MAP (EVAN PARKER AND MATTHEW WRIGHT)
Buy this album from MMA partners
Puttin' On the Ritz Classic (1920s) Jazz
THE NEW WONDERS
Buy this album from MMA partners
異響同塵~Different echoes in the same dust~ Jazz Related Improv/Composition
TOSHI TSUCHITORI 土取利行
Buy this album from MMA partners
Brötzmann / Nilssen-Love : Butterfly Mushroom Avant-Garde Jazz
PETER BRÖTZMANN
Buy this album from MMA partners
Kranetude Jazz Related Improv/Composition
KATHARINA ERNST
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Jazz Online Videos

Puttin' On The Ritz
THE NEW WONDERS
js· 6 hours ago
Wet Weather Wet
THE WRONG OBJECT
js· 1 day ago
Michael Kiwanuka - Lowdown (parts i and ii)
MICHAEL KIWANUKA
js· 1 day ago
Who Needs You (Billie Holiday-Jeanne Burns) by Ineza with Alex Webb & The Copasetics
INEZA (INEZA KERSCHKAMP)
js· 2 days ago
Notbad
PEELA
js· 2 days ago
More videos

New JMA Jazz Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Jazz News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed