S3NS

Album review

If you’re searching for a multi-talented musician who never stops, look no further than Ibrahim Maalouf. In September 2018, he released the challenging Levantine Symphony No.1, and just two months later he released a recording of his live performance at the AccorHotels Arena from late 2016. The following summer he hit the road in France, teaming up with Haïdouti Orkestar to bring us an album inspired by Balkan music. His famous quarter-tone trumpet knows no limits and he is certainly not about to put it down any time soon. Now, in the autumn of 2019, he is releasing his 14 th album in twelve years, S3NS, which ventures into Afro-Cuban territory. At the beginning of S3NS, Harold Lopez-Nussa’s piano is followed by a handful of soft chords, setting the theme with Una Rosa Blanca, which, as it unfolds, gives both instruments the freedom to enjoy a lively back and forth to a caliente rhythm. The next track, Happy Face, is by Argentine composer Lalo Schifrin and could easily fit into the soundtrack for an action film (Bullitt, Mission Impossible, Starsky & Hutch). The title track itself is fairly typical of Lebanese romanticism and lyricism, ranging from moments of saudade to moments of pure joy.
We’re then transported to Cuba for Harlem where Chucho Valdès’s protégé, Irving Calao, takes his place behind the piano for some heart-felt Latin-jazz. The pianist then hands over to violinist Yilian Canizares for the very joyful Na Na Na, followed by newcomer pianist from Havana, Alfredo Rodriguez, who makes his mark on N.E.G.U. Next, Gebrayel features not only Cuban pianist Roberto Fonseca but also Belgian pianist Eric Legnini and his fellow musicians François Delporte on guitar and Stéphane Galland on drums. After this Latino infusion we’re then brought back to a state of calm with a suave trumpet-piano duo in All I Can’t Say, and piano and trumpet come hand in hand once again at the beginning of Radio Magallanes, which is the name of a Chilean radio station that supported Salvador Allende’s socialist policies. The song opens on a sad note before picking up halfway through with an onslaught of guitars, brass and percussion and lets the voice of the former president be heard, as he was overthrown by dictator Augusto Pinochet. With those unmistakeable accents and verve, the sound of Ibrahim Maalouf’s trumpet is truly glorious all the way through this album. © Benjamin MiNiMuM/Qobuz