CYMIN SAMAWATIE & CYMINOLOGY – Phoenix
ECM 470 9147
Cymin Samawatie (vocals); Benedikt Jahnel (piano); Ralf Schwarz (double bass); Ketan Bhatti (drums, percussion); Martin Stegner (viola)
Recorded March 2014
This is the third release for ECM from the German-Iranian vocalist, Cymin Samawatie with her band Cyminology with an intriguing and exquisite set that fuses Persian poetry and rhythms with improvisation along with the musicians own diverse influences and cultural background.
The music itself is most absorbing with subtle melodies and delicate rhythms rubbing alongside and against the Persian verse in a manner that whilst totally unfamiliar me prior to listening to this recording has made me eager to find out more about Samawatie and her music.
With the traditional jazz line up of piano, bass and drums, but that is where the similarity ends but where our listening should begin. Yes there is improvisation but the way it is deployed is not in overtly swinging grooves, but in gently lilting rhythmic motifs that are determined as much by the words as by the interaction of the instrumentalists.
For the poems used to with her melodic compositions, Samawatie has turned to Iranian heritage, and dedicates the album to the memory of the Iranian modernist poet, Forough Farrokhzaad (1935-1967) to whom Cymin also dedicated a previous recording, As Ney (2008). Along with the works of Farrokhzaad, Samawatie uses her own lyrics and classic Sufi poetry by the fourteenth century poet Hafiz (c. 1325-1390), and the verse of Nima Yushij (1896-1960). It adds much to the enjoyment of the music that in the accompanying booklet that the Persian verse is translated into English.
Making the most of the resources within the band Samawatie conjures up sweet melodies that ebb and flow with the written verse that shifts up a gear into an easy groove with a swinging piano solo on ‘Aaftaab’ to be followed by the gentle melodic contours to the intro of ‘Che Gune Ast’ that again build on a slowly building rhythmic momentum utilising a superb of instruments and wordless vocals.
Keeping the set moving and adding variety, Cymin also engages in three duets, the first, ‘Hare Buse’ with bassist, Ralf Schwarz, with Jahnel’s wonderful touch at the keyboard on ‘Talash Makon’ and finally viola on ‘Phoenix Part 1’ that comes across as a duet for two voices, so close is the sound of the viola to Cymin’s delicately poised phrasing.
This is a beautiful album that quite rightly defies simple classification, and why not. For the listener with open ears that is much to enjoy.
ECM 470 9147
Cymin Samawatie (vocals); Benedikt Jahnel (piano); Ralf Schwarz (double bass); Ketan Bhatti (drums, percussion); Martin Stegner (viola)
Recorded March 2014
This is the third release for ECM from the German-Iranian vocalist, Cymin Samawatie with her band Cyminology with an intriguing and exquisite set that fuses Persian poetry and rhythms with improvisation along with the musicians own diverse influences and cultural background.
The music itself is most absorbing with subtle melodies and delicate rhythms rubbing alongside and against the Persian verse in a manner that whilst totally unfamiliar me prior to listening to this recording has made me eager to find out more about Samawatie and her music.
With the traditional jazz line up of piano, bass and drums, but that is where the similarity ends but where our listening should begin. Yes there is improvisation but the way it is deployed is not in overtly swinging grooves, but in gently lilting rhythmic motifs that are determined as much by the words as by the interaction of the instrumentalists.
For the poems used to with her melodic compositions, Samawatie has turned to Iranian heritage, and dedicates the album to the memory of the Iranian modernist poet, Forough Farrokhzaad (1935-1967) to whom Cymin also dedicated a previous recording, As Ney (2008). Along with the works of Farrokhzaad, Samawatie uses her own lyrics and classic Sufi poetry by the fourteenth century poet Hafiz (c. 1325-1390), and the verse of Nima Yushij (1896-1960). It adds much to the enjoyment of the music that in the accompanying booklet that the Persian verse is translated into English.
Making the most of the resources within the band Samawatie conjures up sweet melodies that ebb and flow with the written verse that shifts up a gear into an easy groove with a swinging piano solo on ‘Aaftaab’ to be followed by the gentle melodic contours to the intro of ‘Che Gune Ast’ that again build on a slowly building rhythmic momentum utilising a superb of instruments and wordless vocals.
Keeping the set moving and adding variety, Cymin also engages in three duets, the first, ‘Hare Buse’ with bassist, Ralf Schwarz, with Jahnel’s wonderful touch at the keyboard on ‘Talash Makon’ and finally viola on ‘Phoenix Part 1’ that comes across as a duet for two voices, so close is the sound of the viola to Cymin’s delicately poised phrasing.
This is a beautiful album that quite rightly defies simple classification, and why not. For the listener with open ears that is much to enjoy.
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Reviewed by Nick Lea
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