Dhafer Youssef * Yabay

Old loves always come back. Metheny has been a early love, and with his quartet has initiated me to a different kind of music. Mehldau is a more recent lover, borrowed from a friend of mine some years ago: with his trio he plays among others some Radiohead stuff in an astonishing way.

They made a CD together, a very good one, called Metheny Mehldau. That CD is so good, that they decided to make a new one, which is the one I am listening right now. Mehldau is a prince: he explore textures of sound, and is able to color whatever composition with unexpected flavours. Metheny is eclectic, and excels in whatever he does. The balance of the two, with the support of the rest of Mehldau's trio, is simply perfect. Don't read this blog. Go and listen to the music.

But today I have listened to something very different. Paolo Fresu was accompaning Dhafer Youssef. Mixing arab music, with its clear indian influence, with jazz. It smelled as the salt of the ionian see, blue and tearful.