Migration is perhaps the key to Dhafer Youssef’s music. The Tunisian singer and oud player emigrated to Austria when he was 20, then traveled all over the world and has lived in Paris since 2002. He always took the musical tradition of his homeland with him as a basis, fertilized it with what he found elsewhere and thus allowed new shoots to sprout.
Because he always kept an open mind and was looking for risks, the relevant interdisciplinary jazz musicians quickly rushed to win him over. First a Wolfgang Muthspiel or Dieter Ilg, then Scandinavians like Bugge Wesseltoft or Nils Petter Molvaer, finally Americans like Mark Giuliana or Aaron Parks. With an enormous response from the audience. And so Youssef was able to assemble a real jazz world selection as a studio band for his new album “Streets of Minarets”: Herbie Hancock, Marcus Miller, Dave Holland, Nguyên Lê, Ambrose Akinmusire and Vinnie Colaiuta will have every jazz lover clicking their tongues.
Humor seems to suit oud players
Of course you can’t go on tour with such a line-up of stars. But the quintet – announced several times in other casts – that Youssef now performed in one of three German performances in the Prinzregententheater also had it all, as one could quickly experience. The Iranian drummer Shayan Fathi, who grew up in Austria and now lives in Spain, was the least conspicuous as a soloist, which is often a good sign for a drummer. The Frenchman Swaéli Mbappé, who is known from China Moses, Mayra Andrade or the Israeli-French pop star Tal, was able to shine more on the electric bass with powerful low tones and funk slapping. Daniel Garcia on the piano proved that he is not only the most important flamenco pianist at the moment, but also that he doesn’t have to fear any competition as a pad and rhythm magician on keyboards and synthesizers.
And then there was that of Youssef – an announcer just as funny as Rabih Abou Khalil, humor seems to suit oud players – as “Jesus, Mohammed, Moses, only better: because he’s there” announced Austrian trumpeter Mario Rom, who was with bands like interzone and Shake Stew has been proving its international class for years. Together, this resulted in the perfect mix for Youssef’s concept: Most of his songs begin contemplatively, calmly and ethereally with his siren-like muezzin voice reaching the highest heights. Then comes the audibly not school-like, but autodidactically learned, unusual e-guitar-like oud, everything rocks up and in the end the band gives themselves the edge with heavy jazz rock or anthemic world pop.
As the duration of the concert progressed (and Youssef played for more than two hours at a time), improvisation and solos were given more and more space. With which the cheering audience was offered true world music. Inspiring and groundbreaking because cosmopolitan and breathing the freedom of jazz.