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Review:
An Iranian native now residing in Paris, Abed Azrié is endowed with one of those utterly unforgettable and hair-raising voices. His rich baritone is extremely expressive and emotive, charged with a gentle but very penetrating power. This emotional intensity bonds naturally with his penchant for setting to music Arabian poems with strong mystical leanings. Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyat -- one of literature's truly famous collections of spiritual poetry -- served as the conceptual inspiration and lyrical source for this album. The liner notes recount the legendary story… What distinguishes Omar Khayyam from Abed Azrie 's earlier work isn't the mystical mood enhanced by strangely chromatic progressions, but the accompanying ensemble. The Oriental percussion of Adel Shams still appears, as do the Turkish Ney flute and qanoun zither, but the main anchor is a string quintet, made up of two violins, viola, cello and double bass. This surprising but eminently suitable conjunction -- with the gently rolling rhythms, the haunting thematic motifs injected by a modal saxophone, piano or accordion figures, the rich timbres of bowed and plucked strings -- makes for a very unique setting that is impossible categorise. Azrié fashions a thoroughly believable and deeply captivating but entirely fictional musical milieu. The visions they conjure up are ancient, carried aloft a soft breeze from hidden monasteries and desert oases, from remote but peaceful places dedicated to the inner mysteries. These are timeless songs that emanate from holy places in another dimension and, in the weave of magical sounds, hold the dreams and higher aspirations of mediators of all faiths and persuasions. As with his other albums, recording quality is once again top-notch and even benefits from HDCD encoding. Very highly recommended
— CalabashMusic.com
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