|
  Vas
Feast of Silence (Narada
70876-18497-2-1, 2004)
Vocalist
Azam
Ali and percussionist
Greg
Ellis began making music as Vas in 1995, both bringing to
the table a desire to go beyond expectations and the bounds of tradition. Among
their many strengths were Ali's earthy but out-there singing, mostly in
conjured-up languages all her own, and Ellis' knack for creating percussion
backdrops that were not merely rhythmic but had something to offer in the way of
melody as well.
Feast of Silence is their fourth album on Narada (though they've each
done a solo disc for the label since last teaming up as Vas), and the way their
sound has expanded defies description as much as the sound itself. From their
first release (1997's Sunyata) they've melded the feel and ambiance of
Persia, Arabia, North Africa, the Balkans and India into a seamless whole, as
though they'd taken numerous musical journeys between the Straits of Gibraltar
and the far end of the Silk Road and absorbed something new each time. The sonic
adventure they're on remains fresh, having added on this latest excursion some
vocals in English and percussion from locales ever further flung.
Guest players on additional stringed and keyboard instruments (and some
well-placed Indian bansuri flute) enhance the tunes, all Vas originals apart
from one traditional Bulgarian song. The opening "Amitra" is classic Vas, with a
majestic, sweeping arrangement that's solid and shimmering. Things stay heavenly
after that as Ali's singing enchants and soothes in ways that could lure even
the most attentive sailor onto the rocks and Ellis sends forth unlooped,
unsequenced percussion cascades where everything from Peruvian box drums to to
metallic Indonesian textures fill expanses of bliss. Above all, the album
illustrates that though the duo's respective talents are considerable, it's
their unbeatable teamwork that continues to make Vas such an engaging listen. Buy Feast of Silence.
|
