DIDIER MALHERBE/LOY EHRLICH
Hadouk (Zebra Acoustic)
Reviewed by Shaun Dale

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This album blends contemporary jazz inflections with world music sounds that offer hints of middle eastern, African and other influences from a duo that combines the sounds of doudouk, ocarina, bamboo clarinet and flute, sapilka, saxophone, Jew's harp, zeff, wood drums, cymbals, hajouj, aouicha, bolong, kora, sanz-m'bira, ukelele, tabla and djembe.

Everything clear so far? Does it help if you know that the aouicha is a small hajouj?

Well, there are more hints about the origin and nature of some of the more exotic instruments in the liner notes. What really counts is the origin and nature of the players. Didier Malherbe first came to attention as a member of the seminal progressive fusion act, Can, which was his home for a decade begininning in 1968. Since he's worked with the likes of Steve Hillage, Pierre Bensusan, Faton Cahen, Vangelis and others on the cutting edge of European music. He teamed up with Loy Ehrlich, master of keyboards and ethnic string instruments (hint - the hajouj and aouicha are Ehrlich's) on the 1994 release Fluvius. This is the pair's debut as a duo on the Zebra Acoustic imprint, and it's a masterpiece of accessible esoterica. This is an ideal introduction to the possibilities of the instrumentation and attitude of world music as expressed through the artistry of two of Europe's most capable contemporary musicians.

Track List:

Hadouk * Vol De Nuit * Dame Des Sables * Loukoumotive * Bal Des Oiseaux * Effarvatte * Montaulieu * Callibistri * Marsyas * Caspienne Blues

© 1999 - Shaun Dale