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Written in fRoots issue 285, 2007
 

THE WORLD WIND BAND
Safar
Hermes HER-029 (2006)

Here’s an interesting album that seems to have got lost in marketing terms, perhaps partly because it’s released on an Iranian label.
      Dirk Campbell and Jan Hendrickse are two of Britain’s most skilful players of worldwide wind instruments. Egyptian-born, Kenyan-raised Campbell lectures at Goldsmiths College in London; Hendrickse is currently researching at the Guildhall.
On Safar they play between them Bulgarian and Turkish kavals, ney, Armenian duduk, fujara, Tanzanian filimbi, west African sarewa flute, Chinese dizi, Moroccan trumpets, animal horns, gaida, uilleann pipes, bansuri, and other flutes and whistles. Their bios don’t mention anything in their armoury other than wind instruments, but though it’s not explained in the notes it turns out that, apart from a few discreet samples, all the other instruments on the album - kora, laouto, oud and varied percussion – are played by the duo. The album was a home recording intended as a demo, but the label liked it as it stood.
      The material draws on traditions including Bulgarian, Macedonian, Azeri, Indian, Greek and Turkish. Some are actual traditional tunes, some are new compositions by Campbell or Hendrickse, often making cross-cultural links, such as The Pleasure Of Giving which is written by Campbell in Irish slip jig style but in 15/8 rather than 9/8. The final track, an Irish-style treatment of Bach’s Jesu Joy Of Man’s Desiring involving uilleann pipes, flute, bodhran and a string quartet, might seem corny in concept, but works fine.
      Hermes’ website is www.hermesrecords.com. Its releases, others of which look well worth investigating, can be bought direct or from several online sellers, and are distributed in the UK by EGEA/Alternative Music Distribution


© 2007 Andrew Cronshaw
 

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