Electric Sufi

• Artist: Dhafer Youssef
• Rating:
• Release Date: July 09, 2002
• Genre: Jazz

Review

Tunisian-born oud performer/vocalist Dhafer Youssef attains a happy medium while integrating the oud (an Arabic lute instrument) with jazzy grooves and wide-ranging improvisational forums. On this outing, the artist crafts an appealing worldbeat/jazz scenario partly due to his nimble plucking and mood-evoking unison choruses with trumpeter Markus Stockhausen. There's also a drum'n'bass element here, as the leader utilizes the talents of ex-Living Colour rhythmic aces Will Calhoun (drums) and Doug Wimbish (bass). Jazz guitarist Wolfgang Muthspiel adds textural patterns to many of these pieces while embarking on a pleasant mainstream jazz-based solo passage on the piece entitled "Farha." Youssef also displays a multi-octave vocal range on several tracks -- as he renders wordless vocals that often conjure up notions of religiously inclined mantras. A good portion of this affair features lightly rumbling percussion vamps intertwined with North African modalities and alternating dialogue among the soloists. A nice effort that ages well upon repeated spins. ~ Glenn Astarita, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Mandakini	Dhafer Youssef	Dhafer Youssef	(5:09)
Yabay	Wolfgang Muthspiel, Dhafer Youssef	Dhafer Youssef	(3:16)
Electric Sufi	Dhafer Youssef	Dhafer Youssef	(4:56)
Oil on Water	Dhafer Youssef	Dhafer Youssef	(2:45)
La Prière de l'Absent	Dhafer Youssef	Dhafer Youssef	(6:44)
Man of Wool	Dhafer Youssef	Dhafer Youssef	(7:04)
La Nuit Sacrée	Dhafer Youssef	Dhafer Youssef	(6:26)
Nouba	Dhafer Youssef	Dhafer Youssef	(6:47)
Farha	Dhafer Youssef	Dhafer Youssef	(5:35)
Nafha	Dhafer Youssef, Wolfgang Muthspiel	Dhafer Youssef	(5:26)
Al-Hallaj	Dhafer Youssef	Dhafer Youssef	(3:20)
Suraj	Dhafer Youssef	Dhafer Youssef	(6:16)
Langue Muette	Dhafer Youssef	Dhafer Youssef	(3:33)

Credits

Hyou Vielz (Photography), Dhafer Youssef (Producer), Mino Cinelu (Sound Effects), Wolfgang Meyscheider (Mastering), Doug Wimbish (Electronics), Dieter Ilg (Bass (Acoustic)), Dhafer Youssef (Arranger), Mino Cinelu (Percussion), Peter Karl (Engineer), Markus Stockhausen (Trumpet), Doug Wimbish (Bass (Electric)), Steve Arguelles (Producer), Dhafer Youssef (?), Wolfgang Muthspiel (Guitar), Markus Stockhausen (Piccolo Trumpet), Mino Cinelu (Drums), Steve Arguelles (Editing), Will Calhoun (Loops), Christian Heck (Engineer), Dhafer Youssef (Vocals), Dhafer Youssef (Sounds), Markus Stockhausen (Flugelhorn), Will Calhoun (Drums), Caroline Mardok (Photography), Deepak Ram (Bansuri), Steve Arguelles (Engineer), Ssirus Pakzad (Photography), Steve Arguelles (Mixing), Dhafer Youssef (Oud)