FATHER & SON

Thank you so very much Nazi Khanoom

I am sorry that I put you through so much trouble. But you are kind and generous and my gratitude for all the names you provided me with.

I took a careful record of the information and there is plenty for each taste and am going to actually visit one of the Iranian music store to buy one or two to beging with.

Aagain, thank you so much and I'll be looking forward to your future postings.

Dear Miz Abdol-Azim Khaneh Ghareeb

Salam:

Listening to Iranian music in a garden...sounds very poetic, indeed! I have had a chance to look through my small collection of music, looking for solo performances of Iranian instruments. Here is what I have and find to my taste. I am sure there are hundreds of other choices. I am also including duets of instruments and then at the end, a list of instrumentals only music by Iranians. I hope this works for you. If you have any questions about any one of these albums, do let me know and I will provide CD album cover information. Have a good weekend and long live Iranian music and its lovers.

1. Barbat and Oud: Hossein Behroozi-Nia plays with Pejman Haddadi on Tombak. The album is called "Vajd" in Iran and was published under the name of "Midnight Sun" in US in 2000.

In “Kouhestan,” Hossein Behroozi-Nia plays the Iranian folkloric melodies on Oud, along with Bijan Kamkar on Daf and Kambiz Ganjehi on Tombak.

2. Kamancheh: Kayhan Kalhor plays “The Wind” with Turkish Percussionist Ardal Arzanjan. This album was published under the name of “Ta Bikaran-e-Doordast.” The duo play Iranian and Turkish “magham’s.”

In his three-CD collection of “Silk Road Journeys,” released in Iran under the title “Ghazal I, II, and III,” Kalhor improvises with Shojaat Hossein Khan on Sitar and others.

3. Setar: A Century of Setar, A 2-CD collection gathered by Mahour Institute of Culture and Art (Hossein Alizadeh’s Company), featuring all the Setar greats of Iranian music history, Alinaghi Vaziri, Abdollah Davar, Yousef Forootan, Saeed Hormozi, Abolhassan Saba, Arsalan Dargahi, Moshir Moazzam Afshar, Ahmad Ebadi, Nourali Boroumand, Hassan Ali Daftari, Dariush Safavat, Jalal Zolfonoon, Mohammad Reza Lotfi, Hossein Alizadeh, and Dariush Talaee.

A young Iranian musician who lives in our parts, has put together a sweet collection of solo collection of string instruments, Tar, Tanboor, Oud, and Setar, which was published last year. His name is Hamed Nikpay, and the album’s name is “Solo Passage.”

4. Ney: Behzad Foroohari plays his Ney along with Kambiz Ganjehi on Tombak in Yassaman.

5. Tar: See Hamed Nikpay as described under Setar.

This might not meet your standard, but I mention it anyway! Keyvan Saket performs the Tar and Setar in “East and West Crossing,” where he performs with a complete ensemble (Gol-ha Style, with poetry reading in the beginning) Morgh-e-Sahar, and then moves on to solo performances of European symphony pieces with the Tar. He does the same type of work in his album “East of Sorrow,” mostly with Bach and Vivaldi pieces.

6. Santour:

Pashang Kamkar plays Santour in “Baraneh.”

Ardavan Kamkar plays solo Santour in “Darya,” performing in Homayoun and Mahoor.
Ardavan Kamkar performs both solo in Shur, and in an orchestral presentation with other instruments in “Mahi Baraye Sal-e No.”

7. Tombak and other Percussions:

Majid Khalaj plays Tombak, Daf, and Dayereh in “Ta Bad Chonin Bada,” in a CD released in France, Musique du Monde, Music From The World.

A young Iranian composer and Tombak player, Navid Afghah, plays in “Genesis,” or “Paydayesh.” This is a fairly unusual collection, as Mr. Afghah’s tombak creates unique and colorful sounds, while telling the story of Genesis.

8. Violin and Piano: Javad Maroofi on Piano and Homayoun Khorram perform Bayat-e-Tork and Dashti together in “Hamnavazi.”

9. Vocals: Now, I know you said you don’t like the singing! I just want to tell you about a collection of “186 Classical Tasnifs,” based on Ostad Abdollah Davami’s versions, in which Mohsen Keramati sings the songs along with a very simple and sweet Kamancheh by Parisa Kashefi. In a way, you will have the tasnif without overt orchestration, so you can relate just to the vocals if ever you find it in your heart to listen to it!

10. Non-traditional music by Iranians:

The following music was composed by Iranian artists and performed with a large orchestra. Many of them have Iranian instruments and Iranian melodies in them, but I don’t consider them traditional Iranian music. They might be good for an audio experimentation sometime.

Hoseyn Dehlavi, “Bijan and Manizheh,” based on Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh.

Ahmad Pejman, “Haft Khan,” “Hemaseh,” “Lunatic,” “Taksavar-e Eshgh,” and “Sarab”

Morteza Hannaneh, “Hezar Dastan”

Mohammad Reza Aligholi, “Earth Whisper” or “Avaye Zamin,” “So Close, So Far,” and “Gypsy Moon.”

Loris Tjeknavorian, “Orchestral Suites”

Ahmad Nadimi, “Suite for Peace,” The vocals on this album belong to his wife, Emiko Nadimi, an opera singer, and the music is conducted by Shardad Rohani. This album was published in the US.

So, here’s my humble answer to your question Miz Abdol Jan. You can email me (my address is in my profile), or come visit me in my weblog, //nazykaviani.blogspot.com/ sometime.

Nazi Khanoom

Greetings again,
I will be so delighted if you guide me to such CD/s with similar theme. You see the Journey to Eternity has a lot of inspiration from Italian music and stanzas in it and of course variation on Persian Mahoor. Many object to such variations due to fear of dilusion and impurity in Persian music, while music itself knows no boundary.

I play such very selected pieces for guest in the my humble garden. Since my last email I have listened to Journey to Eternity 30 times or so, and it will continue, it takes me to Silk Route to Tajikestan, to Xian and beyond....

God Bless and salute to Nazeri's

Dear Miz-Abdol-azim Khaneh Ghareeb

Salam. This is just to let you know that I have seen your comment and I understand your sentiments about Iranian music. In fact I do know of such collections as you are searching and I have some of them in my very small collection. I'll be along with names and information later today. Don't despair! You are not alone in your musical taste my friend. In a way, what better way to pay homage to the great music of our land than to want to have an intimate audio experience with just one instrument at a time. Though some audiences might find that a bit tedious, others, such as yourself, find it important and valuable. I'll write again tonight when I have time.

Nazi Khanoom

would you by any chance know of any CD that it all be solo, just like the theme called "Journey to Eternity"?

Such solo instruments are the essence of Persian Music and I am dying to find a CD that would be purely solo seh-tar or tar, but not just in the old classic themes. The Journey to Eternity tells a 10,000 years history.

However, once the tabla and darieh and other instruments kick in it takes you to the dark side of Persian music, let alone singing! Oh my god, if we could only see a day that men be banned to sing in Iran...why do we have to pay so much taxation to just listen to a solo seh-tar for god sake?

Does anyone can lead me to such a CD?

Best

Thank You All

Thank you for reading my humble review, and for your comments about the Nazeris' fabulous music.

Azarin Jan, I had seen your post and had thoroughly enjoyed that clip. I am glad to see that we share yet one more point of interest!

Here's another review of that work, which might be of interest to all:

//blogcritics.org/archives/2007/10/18/162456....

Long Live Music!

My favorite CD

Dear Nazy,

Thank you so much for your review and creating more buzz about this great music! Nazeris really deserve it.

Last September, I attended their concert in LA at Disney Hall, where I heard the Passion of the Rumi for the first time. It was one of the best concerts I had ever attended (and believe me I have season ticket for LA Opera and LA Philarmonique, so I REALLY go to many concerts! Still I would not say the same thing about the behavior of the Iranian audience though, but it is irrelevant!)

I even wrote a blog about it with a link to a longer version of my favorite song:

//iranian.com/main/blog/azarin-sadegh/f-licitations-monsieur-nazeri

Since then, I have bought at least 10 copies of this CD as a present to my family and friends and believe me or not, even Americans fell in love with Nazris and their magic.

Thanks again,

Azarin

great songs

biji kak Shahram.Keep up the good work.

Beautiful as usual

Nazeri sings from heart and it's beauty shows in every moment of his songs.

Dear MS.Nazy Kaviani

Thanks for the information and the link.
I listened to the samples and you're right,it is very romantic.I'll buy this CD for sure.

I believe the art of music is divine and effective. It is the food of the soul and spirit. Through the power and charm of music the spirit of man is uplifted.

Thanks
Mona

Cooooool

Proud to be kurd Kermashan (Kermanshah)...

درود بر تو اى كرد ِ ايرانى

چه تو دهنى بزرگى به دهن جدايى طلب ها ميزنى وقتى از حافظ و مولانا و به فارسى ميخوانى خدا تو و كرد هاى عاشق ايران را براى ايران حفظ كند