Anouar Brahem’s string playing exudes tranquility, beauty and strength. During his forty-year career he has developed a unique style of playing the oud, the Arabic lute, constantly placing the age-old instrument in different situations. For the first time he will now look back on his oeuvre, with the jazz musicians featured on his ECM album The Astounding Eyes of Rita.

The depth of bass clarinet, the flexibility of electric bass and the gracefulness of eastern percussion: Anouar Brahem’s quartet has what it takes to shape the richly varied compositions of its leader. The Tunesian master draws from earlier albums featuring renowned players from jazz and traditional Arabic music, from Madar by sax legend Jan Garbarek to the successful Blue Maqams.

Klaus Gesing bass clarinet/soprano sax, Anouar Brahem ud, Björn Meyer bass guitar, Khaled Yassine percussion