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Product Description
Charlie Gillett The Observer Music Monthly
Charlie Gillett applauds the evergreen Algerian pianist who, in his eighth decade, is at the peak of his creative powers
The joyous result makes one wonder why no one had thought of such permutations before.
Throughout the album, the melodies are so arresting and majestic that you feel you must have heard them before.
The joyous result makes one wonder why no one had thought of such permutations before.
Throughout the album, the melodies are so arresting and majestic that you feel you must have heard them before.
CD Description
Some call him the ‘Ruben Gonzales’ of the Maghreb. Born in the Algerian port of Oran into a Jewish family in 1928, Maurice El Medioni has led a remarkable life crammed full of music. He played Jewish Andalous music at coffee-houses and weddings, boogie and rumba in bars and parties, introduced the piano into early Rai music, and became a cabaret star in Paris in the 1960s. Most recently, at the age of 77 he has added the nostalgic notes of his oriental piano to the opening track of Khaled’s latest, much celebrated ‘Ya Rayi’ release. Today, still full of energy, Maurice resides in Marseilles. His recordings as well as the rare appearances with his own band feature his unique and inimitable piano style that never fails to charm. While his left hand boogies on the rhythms of the New World, his right hand paints the alluring licks and melodies of the Old. The result is a nostalgic cocktail of Cuban rhythms, French cabaret chic and Oriental mellowness. This is his long awaited new CD, recorded in New York with Cuban master percussionist Roberto Rodriguez. Also available: CDPIR1045 CAFÉ ORAN, Maurice's classic album which was included in Rough Guides 100 essential World Music CDs. UK dates: Fri 10 Mar BIRMINGHAM, mac (Midlands Arts Centre) / Sun 12 Mar LONDON, Queen Elizabeth Hall (special support by Radio Gagarin live) / Thu 16 Mar LEEDS, The Wardrobe / Sun 19 Mar BATH, Michael Tippetts Centre.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Audio CD
Bought this CD after listening to a track on radio 3's late junction. If you like salsa, latin american vibes but get a bit bored with the usual- this is the CD for you. Great to listen to and hard not to dance to!!! Love it!!!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
North African Winds in the Caribbean
17 April 2008
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
This is Caribbean music, specifically, this is Cuban piano, a la Ruben Rodriguez. Which makes all the more original when the odd Middle Eastern note wafts out of the beautiful key playing. This is superb music.
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Piano lace
27 Dec 2007
Format:Audio CD
A fine lace of glowing pianistic pearls, an arabesque of note-lines, a flying rosary of sounds steadily based upon an ever pulsating afro-cuban rythm. An infinite drawing of melodies...
Much of A Sameness
7 May 2012
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Maurice el Medioni is no Reuben Gonzales...but he does write his own music. I wanted very much to like this outing because I do like the lead number--'Oran Oran.' This is an almost hypnotic vocal featuring trumpet, drums and piano and a Latin beat. It goes on for 8:39 minutes without becoming boring. Similarly, I liked 'Comme tu as Change' (5:31) for its Arabic (Al Andalus) rhythm and for its repetition of ideas with variations that is suggestive of a camel caravan ride. Other songs seemed overly long and discursive to me, with times of 9:00, 7:06, 7:26 sometimes beating the idea to death. El Medioni employs a single style of piano throughout which features wonderful tone but uses a seemingly endless shower of short notes and frequent changes of tempo that left me longing for more unity in many of the pieces. Piano and percussion are the strong suits of this outing and they seem to have been pleasing to other reviewers. I found that the trumpet parts got a bit lost--or lost the point of being in the ensemble on one or two of the numbers. In sum, I really like the two cuts I liked. There is no parity here with the nuance and range of piano playing here with what I have found in Reuben Gonzales. I listen to his work over and over. These selections became to seem too much alike to hold my interest for the entire program.
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