Label: ECM Records, 2025
Personnel - Anouar Brahem: oud; Anja Lechner: violoncello; Django Bates: piano; Dave Holland: double bass.
As a pivotal figure in the world-jazz music sphere, oud player Anouar Brahem has been warming our hearts throughout the years with albums such as Barzakh (1991), Thimar (1998), Le Voyage de Sahar (2006), and Blue Maqams (2017), among others. His latest work, After the Last Sky, takes its title from the words of Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish and is deeply inspired by the harrowing experiences of the Palestinian people in Gaza. Rather than guiding listeners toward a specific message, Brahem seeks to evoke raw emotion, a goal he achieves with the support of three distinguished European musicians. While bassist Dave Holland is a familiar collaborator, pianist Django Bates returns after Blue Maqams, but the novelty here is cellist Anja Lechner, who infuses the music with extra poignancy and depth.
“Remembering Hind”, a piano-cello duet, unfolds like a slow-blooming sonata, paying homage to a young victim of the war. Bates and Lechner also share the melodic journey of “Edward Said’s Reverie”, a tribute to the American-Palestinian academic and political activist in the title.
The title track, “After the Last Sky” opens with the plaintive voice of the oud, its melancholy tones soon interweaving with the piano. In its last segment, Holland subtly establishes a groove with lyrical intonation, while Lechner enriches the classical Arabic tradition with her improvisational freedom. “Endless Wandering” is spiritual, elegant, and haunting, showcasing warmly dissonant oud harmonies and bowed bass in the form of sustained pedals.
With its scintillating textures, “Awake” begins in 7/4, traversing key changes and shifting modal directions with ease. “In the Shade of Your Eyes” is a striking oud-cello duet, enriched by microtonal inflections and dark, reedy bowing. Meanwhile, “The Eternal Olive Tree” is an improvised bass-oud effort imbued with a sinuous, dancing quality that highlights the deep musical rapport between Brahem and Holland.
A surprising tango influence emerges in “Dancing Under the Meteorites”, a modern composition nourished by Holland’s sturdy bass foundation, while “Vague”, an older Brahem piece, blends echoes of Erik Satie with Arabic laments, striking a pillowy, oddly emotional note. It’s easy to find delight in Brahem’s poignant narratives and sounds. His unique musical perspective triggers thoughtful responses from his peers, who help the music brim with soul.
Favorite Tracks:
03 - Endless Wandering ► 06 - In the Shade of Your Eyes ► 11 - Vague