Jan Garbarek & Anouar Brahem: Madar (Luminessence Series 2LP)

"Madar" captures the only documented coming together of three masters of their signature instruments: Shaukat Hussain on tabla, Anouar Brahem on oud and saxophonist Jan Garbarek. "It was Manfred [Eicher] who suggested that we could invite Shaukat to a session with Anouar," recalled Jan Garbarek in connection with the creation of the album, while Anouar Brahem saw the spontaneity of the recording illustrated in the producer's attitude at the time: "Let's give it a try and see what happens." What happened? Cultural backgrounds merged seamlessly and fluently - musically translated into impressive, unique improvised soundscapes that still sound fresh and untouched by time today. In the words of Jazztimes magazine from the year the album was released: "The result is a wondrous, detached atmosphere in which the musicians' distinctive ethnic imprints interweave without forcing the cross-cultural theme or diluting the individual parts' independence. Here, Norway and the Middle East sound like neighbors with a common cause." The album, originally recorded in 1992 and released in 1994, was produced by Manfred Eicher. It is being released for the first time ever on vinyl as part of the Luminessence series, in a 2-LP tip-on gatefold edition.