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| Saffron Ensemble: Will You ? |
The Iranian singer Katayoun Goudarzi has been absorbed in Persian poetry for the last thirty years. She has made her native poetry an integral part of her life, studying diligently to be true to the linguistic as well as lyrical integrity of the writings that she either recites or sings.
Of the nine albums she has recorded since 2006, five have concentrated on one poet, the 13th century Sufi Poet Rumi. The sentiment expressed so emotionally in this poet’s work seem to transcend time, language and culture. Universal themes of love, longing and loss are all dealt with in an emotionally ringing manner.
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| Saffron Ensemble: Tim Ries, Shujaat Khan, Katayoun Goudarzi and Kevin Hays |
On her latest recording, Will
You? she is once again joined by the sitar master Shujaat Khan, the
muti-reed artist Tim Ries, the jazz pianist Kevin Hays and the table player
Dibyanka Chatterjeu. Together they call themselves Saffron Ensemble.
The album features Gourdarzi’s expressive voice in recitation of the
spoken word and singing the verse to the music.
As for the music, pianist Kevin Hays provides one composition, “Sweet
Caroline,” to the program, while the rest of the songs are provided by the sitarist Shujaat Khan.
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| Saffron Ensemble |
Khan’s process of composition: “I come up with the skeleton of the
tunes, but that’s really what we build from. We converse to make this music. It’s
never the same interpretation, the same sound, the same song twice.” The
recording was done in one sitting without retakes to make it as spontaneous as
possible and it has that feeling that comes from inspiration; bubbling creativity
that can be so fleeting.
The music has a world-music feel to it and incorporates elements
of both middle-eastern and Indian motifs with some jazz-like improvisations.
The drone-like twang of Khan’s sitar is a constant presence
throughout. A stabilizer that offers a landscape on which the other artists add
their colors.
It is Gourdarzi’s haunting voice that
gives the performance it’s soul. Her voice soars, quivers, uses guttural
sounds, voice modulation and employs a crystalline tone. The result is a heart-wrenching,
mysterious and exotic rendering of Rumi’s poems in Persian. The only thing that
is missing for me is the English translation of the verse.
The two western musicians seem to find their place in this
decidedly eastern musical offering. Multi-reedist Tim Ries’s lead in soprano
solo at the beginning of “Don’t” is especially noteworthy. Pianist Kevin Hays provides
fluttering notes with a keenly attuned ear.
Dibyanka Chatterjeu’s ever present tablas play off Khan’s sitar
with an assured constancy.
Hays’ beautiful “Sweet Caroline” is played as a trio piece. It is the
only song whose melodic content is easily identifiable; played without verse or
vocals. Khan adds delicate sitar accompaniment here and Chatterjeu keeps the
time as Hays offers his own inspired pianistic reading of his thoughful composition.
The inspired and melodic chanting voice of Khan can be heard opening the
contemplative “A Thread” and later, on “The Void.”
Gourdarzi’s soft-spoken voice draws you in like any good storyteller.
Even without knowing the meaning of the words you are moved by the expressiveness
of her voice and delivery. Ries has a stirring tenor solo on “A Thread” that
adds to the trancelike feeling of this song.
More of a world music album than a jazz album, Will You? includes ten inspired songs that, if you allow yourself the pleasure, can be thoroughly engrossing.
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