Apologies for the delay - the album was released in August - but I was confused. There were two discs leading me to conclude that it was a double album.
Turned out it wasn't. The additional disc is some mystical creation that involves Blue-ray, Dolby Atmos and Auro-3D which "immerses the listener in a cocoon of life-like sound". Wonderful except my humble CD player can't handle anything so complex and I filed it away for if and when ...
In the end I opted for the second disc even though it mean't doing without the "Height" channel configuration.
Hazar, birth name Ulas Hazar, grew up in Germany and began his musical journey playing the saz - a three-stringed lute - before concentrating on acoustic guitar which he plays with amazing virtuosity. The music may cross several ethnic borders but the end result, recorded at Abbey Road, is very much jazz.
Donna Lee sees the old bebop classic given a new lease of life and even the much maligned Summertime sounds less-travelled.
The marketing of the album is a bit of a con - Special guest Al Di Meola. Di Meola only plays on one track, Chick Corea's Spain, sharing solos with Hazar and adding extra percussion playing the cajon. Still, in fairness, it's brilliantly executed.
Bass clarinet adds depth on some numbers and there's also spritely piano from Roelofs.
All in all I'm rather sorry that I waited so long to listen as, even without all the hoojar, this is one helluva album for enthusiasts of the acoustic guitar.
Lance
Made For Wesley; Spain; Bossa Dorado; Black Orpheus; Made in France; Summertime; For Sephora; Donna Lee; Le Vieux Tzigane.
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