Jaubi

Nafs At Peace

Labels / Brands:
Astigmatic Records
Genre:
Jazz, World Music
Style:
Contemporary Jazz

Not available

Specification
Description
Track-list

Condition	Sealed
Manufacturer	Europe
Format	LP, Black Vinyl, Reissue, Gatefold Sleeve
Date of release	2021/2022
Barcode	AR017LP

Jaubi (pronounced jaw-be) is an experimental quartet based in Lahore, Pakistan. They incorporate complex elements from Hindustani classical music with hip-hop, funk, neo-soul, and spiritual jazz. Though they have been playing together since 2013, they gained global recognition in 2020 for their stellar collaboration with Tenderlonious (Ed Cawthorne) on Ragas from Lahore. Recorded during a day-long session that also included Polish composer/keyboardist electronicist Marek "Latarnik" Pędziwiatr, it referenced the spiritual jazz tradition that, with inspiration from Indian classical compositions, created a new exploratory map. Jaubi, Tenderlonious, and Latarnik recorded another session in Oslo a few months later. Nafs at Peace is drawn from both yet differs considerably from the Tenderlonious album. While the quartet employ the raga tradition as a lift-off point, they range across jazz, dub, hip-hop, ambient, and spidery funk. Its title refers to the Sufi word for "self" and denotes the final stage of a spiritual transition wherein the self evolves from an ego-dominated existence to a self-reproaching repentance -- one that has transcended the ego.

Opener "Seek Refuge" commences with Latarnik's droning electronics and ethereal singing from Oslo's Vox Humana choir. In this dreamlike state, Ali Riaz Baqar's plectrum guitar dialogues with Zohaib Hassan Khan's sarangi across an ethereal drift punctuated by the choir's multi-octave, wordless harmonizing. It gives way to the sweet spiritual groove of "Insia." Kashif Ali Dhani's tablas and Qammar 'Vicky' Abbas' drum kit are underscored by Tenderlonious' soulful flute solo and Latarnik's wonky keyboard bass atop breaking snares and vamping electric guitars; the entire tune evolves into an elliptically funky jam. On "Raga Gujri Todi," reverbed sarangi delivers a mournful lament over a brooding electronic drone punctuated by a wafting soprano saxophone. The gradually building tension erupts into a driving rhythm collision of tabla, drum kit, and electronics as Tenderlonious digs into his solo with purpose, and the stringed instruments hover about in the margins, framing his lines with poignancy. "Straight Path" marks a glorious intersection between ambient electronica, raga, and contemporary jazz in wedding several melodic themes offered by flute and sarangi in dialogue with a bubbling, contrapuntal tabla. "Mosty'' extends that vibe dubwise, moving into funky jazz with flute, serpentine modal electric guitar, snare breaks, and a cooking tabla. "Zari" is a sublime contemporary jazz jam led by sarangi, a Korg MS-20 bassline, and gorgeously expressive guitar chords that start and end in a state of bliss. The modal title track is introduced by grand piano, rolling tom-tom, and kick drums, which instigate a guitar riff that carves space for Tenderlonious' soaring soprano sax solo. The rhythm section syncopates around the solo, balanced by piano and thundering drums before whispering to a close. Simply put, Nafs at Peace is stellar. Jaubi understand the vastness of the raga tradition as they extend it spiritually and dialogically to modern musical genres in a collaborative improvisational process that edifies musicians and listeners.

- Thom Jurek - allmusic.com

Musicians:
Composed By – Ali Riaz Baqar (tracks: A1 to A4, B2, B3), Marek Pędziwiatr (tracks: B1)
Drum – Qammar "Vicky" Abbas
Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes Mark II], Grand Piano, Synthesizer [Yamaha PSR-550, Korg MS-20, Moog Voyager], Clavinet [Hohner Clavinet Pianet Duo] – Marek "Latarnik" Pędziwiatr
Flute, Soprano Saxophone – Edward "Tenderlonious" Cawthorne
Guitar, Photography By – Ali Riaz Baqar
Sarangi – Zohaib Hassan Khan
Tabla, Vocals – Kashif Ali Dhani
Vocals – The Vox Humana Chamber Choir (tracks: A1)