BLUE CAMEL

This is a unique album in my collection in that it's part of the small but growing "world" music grouping. Indeed, it's quite inaccurate that this album is labeled under prog-folk as it is really a fusion of jazz and Arabic music. The album, all instrumental, blends Rabih Abou-Khalil's oud playing with saxophone and trumpet to create launch pads for extended jamming based around exotic modes.

Much of the music is very open and atmospheric though certain tracks like "Rabou-Abou-Kabou" are more lively. In terms of song structure, it's similar to albums like Miles Davis' "Kind of Blue", in that a basic 8 or 16 bar phrase will be repeated a couple of times in between elongated solo sections. The caliber of musicianship is high; all the players are highly talented and the solos are a good indication of it. The only problem I have with "Blue Camel" is that the Middle Eastern harmonies, while not being too atonal, are difficult to listen to for too long; after an hour of hearing similar sounding scales being used over and over and without a moving chordal accompaniment but instead a percussion section which adds to the volume more than adding to the beat, the soloing can become quite tedious.

This album would be highly recommended for any fans of Arabic music or very spacey, open jazz but for the average prog listener you probably won't gain very much from "Blue Camel".