The Bebop Shop : Current Events: New Jazz and Beyond : Zoe Rahman
There are hauntingly beautiful interpretations of the music of Rabindranath Tagore, Gauri Majumdar & Hemanta Mukherjee, Pranab Roy & Kamal Dasgupta, Hemant Kumar, and Jasim Uddin, among others - with all arrangements by the two Rahman leaders.
This is a rich, vibrant album of Anglo-Asian music, where jazz meets world music, with dazzling soloing and interplay from all concerned, but especially Zoe and Idris (who also leads his own Soothsayers band). The album comes in a delightfully designed gatefold digipack sleeve, with excellent 12-page booklet. (Discovery Records) Price: £14.99
Dreamland is her sixth album and her first solo recording. It follows on from duo recordings with Czech bass star George Mraz and British jazz great Courtney Pine. (Discovery Records) Price: £14.99
Zoe's mastery of form creates visionary textures, as on the album opener, 'Dance of Time', where she utilises Rowland Sutherland on flute and sets the band off into sparks of fire. The magical timbre of her brother Idris Rahman's clarinet melds beautifully with the piano on 'Little Ones', the melody rising gorgeously, journeying in and out of different sensations and feelings. Zoe's music has an energy that makes you want to dance, like on 'Sweet Jasmine', with its joyful and gloriously irresistible South African funk rhythm and vibration. 'Roots' pushes the envelope of the trio format, whilst 'Peace Garden' gently charms and beguiles. 'Unity' showcases Zoe's compositional brilliance and intricacy, and the skill of her orchestration leaves you with the feeling that you've been listening to a much bigger band than just eight musicians.
Sensations and vibrations are a major element of Zoe Rahman's music. She reaches deep into the soul of the listener, conjuring sounds from a broad musical palette, drawing you into her mysterious and transparent, earthy and heavenly, contemporary and ancient worlds. (Proper Music) Price: £14.99