WITH JOACHIM KÜHN & JARROD CAGWIN: JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF AN EGG

Among RA-K's abundant discography, there are some (many?) albums that sound relatively similar (rather inevitable) but Journey To The Centre Of The Egg is one of those that stands out a bit from the "norm". You can already tell with/by the more discreet white artwork gracing its sleeve, and that only three musicians (including Rabih) intervening, with just one guest drummer on two successive tracks.

Still very much acoustic and instrumental, the general feel remains ethnic-jazz, mainly due to Rabih's oud and the scales used in the compositions. Note that this trio does not feature bass, but this is precisely why this yolk tastes different from the rest of the Egg's centre. Kühn 's piano is certainly very much and asset, and when he's not fondling the keys, he's sometime blowing into an alto sax, which fits the album's ambiance without being either disruptive or repetitive. Cagwin's drum sound is part of the excellent production job of the now- habitual Walter Quintus, and it adds much depth to the soundscapes of the album. The album's apex is the eccentric Mango, but it ends rather abruptly. For the rest, the "ethnic" flavour in this Egg is probably tandoori, because there are a few Indian raga moments, most notably in the longer pieces. As with many of RA-K's album, there is a dissonant piece and inn the cazse, it's not served in Plastic Cups.

While the album is still a typical RA-K work, Journey does stand out a bit, but one can still think of ECM-label jazz products even if the Oregon comparisons are a little harder to bridge. So if you're looking to have more than one of his album, but want to avoid the unpleasant feeling that you've bought the same one twice, this is an excellent second choice.