Ahmed Abdul-Malik

• 4 STARS ALL MUSIC GUIDE

Decades before the advent of 'world music', bassist-composer Ahmed Abdul-Malik introduced Arabic music into jazz, creating a distinct, unique sound that was far beyond its time.

Best known in jazz circles for his solid work with Randy Weston and Thelonious Monk, Abdul-Malik, who is of Sudanese descent, was also the first to use the oud, a pear-shaped, traditional Middle Eastern stringed instrument similar to a lute, as a jazz instrument. Recorded in 1958, with tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin (his bandmate in the Monk quartet), and originally out on the Riverside label, Abdul-Malik's debut solo album Jazz Sahara was a burning fusion of Middle East and West

PERSONNEL:

• Johnny Griffin - tenor sax
• Ahmed Abdul-Malik - oud & bass
• Naim Karacand - violin
• Jack Ghanaim - kanoon
• Mike Hamway - darabeka
• Bilal Abdurrahman - tambourine
• Al Harewood - drums

Recorded In New York, October 1958

TRACKS:

• SIDE A
• A1. Ya Annas (Oh, People)
• A2. Isma'a (Listen)

• SIDE B
• B1. El Haris (Anxious)
• B2. Farah' Alaiyna (Joy Upon Us)