by Joseph Tawadros
Hot on the heels of his recent ARIA Award, Joseph Tawadros has produced a stunning new album that takes his 'ud playing in startling new directions. Joe has always been committed to exploring the possibilities of the 'ud (the Arabic lute) in collaboration with other artists, firmly based in but then exploring outside the bounds of the tradition. So here he has worked again with his brother James Tawadros on Req and Bendir, but also invited along Béla Fleck on banjo, Richard Bona on electric bass, Joey DeFrancesco on Hammond Organ, Roy Ayers on Vibraphone, Howard Johnson on Tuba and Jean-Louis Matinier on Accordion.
The CD quotes John F Kennedy: 'Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth'. The interplay of these diverse influences, of this set of world-class musicians (and we recognise Joseph Tawadros as one of those), produces a beautiful, sparkling, challenging, adept and musically intriguing album. "Australia's multicultural landscape," says Joe, "makes such a project possible."
Roger Holdsworth, Global Village
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