Turkish and Romani 2

Alif: Love Supreme, Omar Faruk Tekbilek             
Turkish traditional
The tone of this album ranges from contemplative to laid-back, in the
groove.  While several pieces lend themselves to dancing, the artistic
mood rules out on-stage dance use.  In fact, windows media player classifies the cd as “New
Age” – but don’t worry, the rhythmic component is strong on all tracks.  For listening and private
dancing, I enjoy this album immensely, particularly the first three tracks:  “Dulger” (overarching
ciftelli and maqsum), “Gardener” (saz-based 4/4), and “Laundry Girl” (driving 9/8).  The familiar
and irresistable folk song Shinanay appears, with a blending of jazz guitar.  All tracks have vocals.
Overall:  Excellent
Danceability:  Limited
Drum use:  Minimal (skilled drummers, but no solos)

Beyond the Sky, Brian Keane and Omar Faruk Tekbilek                
Turkish traditional/New Age
Roughly half the tracks here are New Age (or if you prefer, insanly extended slow taksim solos).  If
your interest is in Middle Eastern music, this means that buying this album is like buying half an
album; for this review, I will ignore the New Age half.  The best tracks from the Middle Eastern half
of the album also appear on Tekbilek’s best of, “Dance into Eternity”, so I’d recommend simply
buying that album instead of this one.  That said, the Middle Eastern half of this album is
exceptionally strong.  Imaginary Traveler is a nice hook and compelling groove used as an excuse for
some highly skilled taksims (oud, nei, guitar, and kanun).  Chargah Sirto is well composed;
Nighttime a classic ciftetelli; Siseler a competent rendition; and Selemet contains an excellent drum solo, great nei hook, and a
few dramatic stops.  Best of all is Kolaymi, composed by Hassan Isikut (kanun), an absolutely beautiful ciftetelli.  There are a
few danceable songs; the drum solo contains some great riffs; but mainly this is a listening album.
Overall: Variable - Half excellent
Danceability: Minimal
Drum Use: Minimal

Fire Dance, Brian Keane and Omar Faruk Tekbilek                        Turkish/New Age
Roughly half the tracks can be characterized as New Age, consisting of long, long, long slow
taksims with various sound effects.  If you are interested in Turkish music, buying this is like
buying half of a cd, as with Beyond the Sky.  However, the Middle Eastern music is not quite as
good as in Beyond the Sky.  Oglan Boyun is a classic (both the song itself and this recording of it).  
Beledy is a tight, focused rendition of Egyptian country music, complete with mizmar, nei, tar,
doumbek, and riq.  Fire Dance is technically tight but lacks energy.  Village Song, a country-style
9/8, has some great darbouka riffs.  Halay and A Passage East are cheerful, darbouka driven pieces
that tastefully use various modern instruments and effects.  There is no kanun; classical guitar
appears on most tracks; there are no vocals except chanting in the meditative half.
Overall:  Good
Danceability:  Minimal (a few good ones)
Drum Use:  Moderate

Crescent Moon, Omar Faruk Tekbilek                                        Turkish traditional
The tracks are mainly long, and mainly of high quality.  Crescent Moon (after a solid two minute
nei taksim introduction) is a powerful 7/8 (doubled for a 14/8 feel) driven by nei and saz.  Tamzara
consists solely of zurna on straight-forward, empty davul and deff 9/8.  The sentimental ciftetelli,
Last Moments of Love, is appropriately emotional and nicely composed.  Adanali is a fast, fun 4/4.  
The other tracks are less notable, but live up in terms of Turkish folklore and presentation of mood.
 On the whole, the album is solid, great without being excellent, catchy without being memorable.
Overall:  Great
Danceability:  Good
Drum Use:  Minimal

Fata Morgana, Michael Askill and Omar Faruk Tekbilek                World/New Age

It sounds like Tekbilek and Askill spent a day or two together playing around with various
instruments and recorded an album, with some backup from a handful of other musicians.  Some
of the tracks (Aman, Distant Call and March of the Janissaries) clearly went through extensive
planning and production.  But the majority of tracks are extremely simple and open.  Many have
taksim by saz or nei accompanied by various percussion and sound effects; others are simply
sound effects strung together.  This album is appropriate for meditation and can be used for slow
taksims, but is not intended for dancing.
Overall:  Meditation
Danceability:  Taksims
Drum Use:  Minimal (some good frame drum stuff)

Mystical Garden, Omar Faruk Tekbilek                Turkish traditional / New Age
The New Age component of this album is minimal: the three final tracks are slow and meditative,
but nevertheless traditionally Turkish.  The first six tracks don’t earn the “New Age” label at all.  
Two of these six tracks aren’t particularly memorable; the others stand up strongly.  Hasret is a
long, beautiful cifte telli, Laz a fast, catchy 7/8.  Shashkin is a classic, and this is a classic recording
with Tekbilek’s zurna.  Darbouka, deff, riq, oud, kanun, and nei are the primary instruments on the
album, with occasional saz, violin, and keyboard.  I strongly recommend this album as one of
Tekbilek’s less New Agey disks.
Overall:  Excellent
Danceability:  Moderate
Drum use:  Moderate

One Truth, Omar Faruk Tekbilek                        Turkish traditional / New Age
The New Age component is light on this album.  Five tracks are either slow taksims or Sufi
chanting (backed by frame drum and various effects), so half the album is indeed slow.  On the
other half, “Red Skies” is a flamenco guitar and bongo driven series of fast taksims; “I Love You”
is a long, slow, sentimental ciftetelli; “Wildflower” an interesting 5/8; “Tahir Raks”  a basic malfuf;
and “Roman” is an up-tempo zurna-powered 9/8 that includes a few great drum solo riffs.  
Overall:  Good
Danceability:  Moderate (half)
Drum use:  Minimal