Must Have More Mustafa Posted by Kevin

Mustafa Kandirali: Karcigar Taksimi and Hicaz Dolap From: Mustafa Kandirali [Traditional Crossroads, 2007] Recently, I've had many thoughts regarding what to post next. I have another "Anatomy of a Sample" post in the works as well as some noisy stuff that isn't what you'll typically find on Ear Fuzz, though I think some of you will be into it. Those of you who have visited my blog Eclectic Grooves know that my tastes are diverse, but I especially focus on genres like free jazz, experimental and psych rock. You can expect to see more of that side of me here in the coming weeks, as well as extra fresh slices of hip-hop and funk. So keep your ears tuned here for new sounds. Today, I am going a little left of center with a post on the superb Turkish clarinet player Mustafa Kandirali. For those of you who aren't familiar with Kandirali's work, you are really in for a treat. As for the rest of you, I encourage you to delve into the catalogs of acts such as Fanfare Ciocarlia, Erkin Koray and Edip Bakrayam for artists with a similar sound. Ever since discovering rare Middle Eastern records on the blog Magic of Juju, I have been obsessed with finding music that falls under the category of "snake charming". As far as I know, snake charming music originated in India, but it is also known to be prevalent in countries such as Egypt, Morocco and Pakistan. The art of snake charming is in the performer's ability to play melodies that hypnotize a deadly, venomous snake into moving to the rhythm of his instrument. While the snake charmer's instrument of choice is usually the pungi flute, numerous jazz and world artists have successfully emulated the sound of snake charmer melodies by using saxophones and clarinets. Mustafa Kandirali, one of the most significant clarinet players in the history of Turkish music, is a pioneering musician who has perfected the ability to commingle traditional Turkish melodies with elements of free jazz. I was first exposed to Kandirali's music a couple months ago when I was visiting a local record store named Timbuk Tunes that specializes in international music. Generally, I stop in every couple weeks to get a heads-up on the latest afro-beat, klezmer, gypsy and bollywood releases, and my friend Dave eagerly plays me selections from his favorite albums of the moment. This time, I was perusing the Turkish music section while Dave's selection played, and I came across this Mustafa Kandirali album. What made me curious about this album was the vivid description on the back of the record, and the cover art which reminded me of the classic Blue Note albums from the 50's and 60's. I wish I could remember what the description was exactly, but I can recall that they mentioned his playing in the same breath as John Coltrane. That was enough to get my attention, so I asked Dave if he would be willing to open a copy of the record so I could preview it. Over the next ten minutes, I immersed myself in the spiraling snake charming melodies that take place on this fantastic collection of songs. I was instantly transported to a small town in Turkey where villagers gather around to witness venomous snakes being hypnotized by the sounds of Kandirali's mystifying clarinet. Most of the tracks on the record blend together seamlessly, lending to the intoxicating effect of the music. While the tempo remains constant throughout the record, there are a couple songs that stand out among the rest. "Karcigar Taksimi" is a mesmerizing solo clarinet piece that showcases Kandirali's mastery of his instrument. As you listen to the sounds of his flute on this song, it is hard not to fall under his spell. Since Kandirali is unaccompanied on this song, you can hear the little nuances like his fingers moving up and down the clarinet as he plays, and breaths taken in between long passages of soloing. This song captures the listener's attention from the beginnning and doesn't let go until the sound of the last note. On "Hicaz Dolap", Kandirali is accompanied by several other musicians who flesh out the sound and create a festive environment for the listener. Every note is pristine, but it never sounds smooth. Towards the end of "Hicaz Dolap", Kandirali playfully injects the melody from "When the Saints Go Marching In" just to keep the listeners on their toes. I recommend this record to anyone who is curious about the links between Eastern European and Western music like Ahmed Abdul Malik's East Meets West or Fred Anderson & Hamid Drake's latest record From the River to the Sea. Traditional Crossroads released this compilation of Kandiral's music with a limited edition 100 page hardbound book including personal memoirs and interviews with musicians who played with him throughout his musical career. I'm interested to hear what you guys think about this, so please give me a shout.