Babylonia Suite delivers rich textures, crafts a driving pulse

ILIOS STERYANNIS BABYLONIA SUITE (Independent, 2023)

Toronto drummer and composer Ilios Steryannis is embracing his music to trace his family history from ancient Mesopotamia to 20th century Baghdad, Mumbai, Manchester and Toronto. The Suite includes six songs and there are five other tracks that reflect upon his more modern influences.

The album features Paul Pacanowski (clarinet/saxophone), Tania Gill (piano/ Rhodes), Henry Heillig (acoustic & electric bass) and Steryannis delivers rich textures on the drums.

Babylonia is designed to simulate the journey from ancient Mesopotamia to the modern world. Soaring clarinet lines dance and weave with violin countermelodies by Jessica Deutsch. The piano shimmers while the rhythm section crafts a pulse that drives the piece.

Zakir is an impressive showcase for special guests Sundar Viswanathan ( bansuri flute) and Ravi Naimpally (tabla). I could listen to this track on repeat for hours.

Ya Nabat Al-Rehan is a traditional Iraqi Jewish piece written by the legendary Al-Kuwaiti brothers, who had the authorship of their music temporarily removed by the Iraqi government in the 1980s. This new performance of the song features Nawras Nader on vocals and oud. (For those who may not be familiar with it, the oud is similar to a pear-shaped lute but fretless and with 11 strings.) Nader's oud playing is stunning and his vocals are evocative and warm.

Sun Song is best described as an “exploratory…etheareal, spacey groove” and features some exceptional piano playing by Tania Gill. This is a dream-like composition that floats along effortlessly.

Other highlights include Madchester, Nina's Dance, The Procession, Blue Rumba and 400 North. You need to hear this record.

AFARIN MANSOURI DANCING WITH LOVE (Independent, 2023)

Mezzo-soprano vocalist Afarin Mansouri grew up in Iran in the wake of the country's so-called Islamic Revolution. Among the many tenets of this oppressive regime, women were - and still remain - forbidden to sing in public except in front of all-female audiences. Mansouri arrived in Canada in 2003 and began to study music with a fervor, as well as activism.

Mansouri's singing is a deeply personal response to her past oppression and her music is brimming with hope, courage, empathy and love.

Omnipresent finds Mansouri's voice floating above a delicate piano part that almost hints at Debussy.

Alchemy is a showcase for Padideh Ahrar Nejad (tar) and Ali Massoudi (taf ). For those who are unfamiliar with those instruments, a tar is a long-necked seven-stringed instrument of the lute family and a daf is a large hand drum with jangles that make it sound similar to a tambourine. The daf is the national instrument of Pakistan.

Endless Sea is based on a poem by 10th century female Persian poet, Rabia Balkhi. The sparse soundscape features a duet with Iranian pop/traditional singer Milad Bagheri. Duets between a male and female are rare within Iranian music, which makes this track even more compelling.

A Lament for Love is an extended flute solo by Terry Lim that ends the album.

Other highlights include Hidden Existence, Unattainable, Severance, Pain (sorrow) and the soundscapes of Astonishment. This is a powerful record.