As its name implies, Lost Brother is about familiarity and musical intimacy. The
first collaboration between Israeli reed man Assif Tsahar and Chicago
drummer Hamid Drake was named Soul Bodies (Vol. 1, Ayler, 2001), and
the musical bond between Tsahar and Cooper-Moore began when Tsahar guested in
William
Parker's In Order to Survive, where Cooper-Moore played the piano. The relationship
continued when Tsahar released several of Cooper-Moore's recordings on his Hopscotch
label, culminating with two enchanting duets (America, 2003; Tells
Untold, 2005).
Cooper-Moore only plays his invented instruments, which spice the nine
compositions with exotic colors. On the opening track, “Breaking the Water,” and the
subsequent “Departure,” he uses his twanger and didley-bow to spread heavy, funky
fretless bass-like
vamps, much to delight of Drake, who enjoys dancing around these lines. On “A Falling
Leaf,” the magnificent “Dugong the Sea Cow,” “Confessions” and “The Shepherd,” his
ashimba adds a West African groove to Drake's relaxed Middle-Eastern and Indian-tinged
frame drum or tabla playing. Meanwhile Tsahar gently binds the two
complementing rhythms with restrained
and meditative bass clarinet playing, quite often quoting one of the
rhythms. Tsahar's efforts on these tracks reflects the distant scenery that Cooper-Moore
and Drake sketch.
The kinship between Tsahar, Cooper-Morre and Drake turns even free-blowing
tracks such as “Seeking the Punto Fijo,” “The Coming of the Ship” and the closing track,
”Goin' Home,” into a very tight excursions based on forceful funky grooves.
Cooper-Moore
and Drake instantly lock into a groove that provides solid ground for Tsahar's assured
flights.
With such musical kinship and joyful playing, they cannot miss.
The funny artwork by Lebanese trumpet player and comic artist
Mazen Kerbaj, hopefully a sign of a
much-desired Middle Eastern artistic collaboration, adds to the enjoyment of this
beautiful gem. Warmly recommended.
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Eyal Hareuveni is an Israeli journalist who lives in Jerusalem More about Eyal...
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