Joseph Tawadros New Album 'Live at Abbey Road' to Be Released 7/12

By: Jul. 05, 2017
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London based Oud virtuoso and triple ARIA Award winner, Joseph Tawadros AM, and his percussionist brother James recorded an extraordinary live, improvised album at Abbey Road studios, London in March, to be released on July 12th, 2017.

"This album is different from my previous work in the level of improvisation - which brings out the freshness and energy between us. I usually go into the recording sessions with highly structured outlines and pieces. But for this album, many of the pieces were created on the spot; others were extrapolated from a few phrases or concepts I'd been working on. We had 6 hours in the studio, recorded 4.5 hours and this is the best of what we could fit into 78 minutes." JT

The Oud is an Arabic lute, the Req is an Egyptian tambourine and the Bendir a frame-drum. These traditional instruments are often together, but are given a startling contemporary workout - that runs the full gamut of emotional and musical range in the Egyptian-Australian brothers' hands.

"I love the tradition, that's what inspires me, but I'm not here to conform. I'm here to be myself, honour my ancestors and play my part." JT

Many of the 29 tracks on Live at Abbey Road were created and improvised on the spot, in the moment, capturing the spirit and energy connecting two virtuosic musicians. In the studio, the brothers communicated through just the notes they played and familiarity with each other's craft, drawing from and moving well past the Egyptian music traditions they were steeped in since childhood and many years performing together.

"James plays Req like no one else and his vision and sensitivity add so much. He has an incredible ability to read and predict moments when we improvise and that musical connection is scary at times." JT

Joseph has generated from the oud, some intriguing, truly innovative sounds and textures. He developed these techniques while composing his Concerto for Oud and Orchestra, which was premiered by Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in May this year.

Joseph and James, at 33 and 28 years old, use the traditions of Egyptian music as a sturdy building block from which they springboard into new musical adventures, bringing contemporary vitality to the art form. For example: Track 1 'Four Sols' -conjures a heady mix of metal, Andalusian, Arabic, prog-rock and jazz with a heavy riff driven theme. Joseph uses a new tuning with four strings tuned to G in four octaves. And Track 19 'Constellation' - where different techniques and textures transform the oud into many voices. You might hear moments of slide guitar, banjo and mandolin from the one ancient instrument.

"It's not just musical interplay, but the interplay of two souls through whatever force has chosen us for that moment to be sonically realised. So we submit to freedom, with an armoury of technique, spirit and love." JT

CONCERT DATES
19 July - Album launch at Camelot Lounge, Sydney
21 July - Unorthodox Church of Groove, Newcastle NSW
29 & 30 July - Stradbroke Island Music Festival QLD
4 August - Casula Powerhouse NSW
11 August - Bellingen Memorial Hall NSW
20 - 27 August - Stift Festival, Holland

more info at www.josephtawadros.com



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