Hadouk Trio Live à FiP Abbe Music MEL003 || 2007 || £14.52  $ € ¥  + p+p +tax Click for big pic Reissue on new label - Totally superb, near faultless live double CD I can't rate this release highly enough, the playing, recording and artwork are all near perfect. It was recorded in Paris at Radio France on 9th October '03 for a live radio broadcast. Such 'pressure' sometimes makes a band freeze a little and the resulting recording is clean, but stiff. However shear depth of musical experience and excellence in Hadouk is so immense that they rose to the occasion quite magnificently from the very first notes. The playing is fluid and sinuous - we all know how good Didier's flute playing is, but his Doudouk playing! When it's not soulfully mysterious and deep is positively sexy, can there be a better non-Armenian practitioner of that unique instrument? Steve Shehan's percussion breaths effortless life through the CDs, he's got to be one of the very best around. And Loy Erlhich's sensitive expertise on all the stringed instruments is a wonder. All three of them takes turns to shine individually - and collectively they just flow telepathically. Each of the three guests enhance the tracks they appear on, which is not always the case with guests when a gig is going so obviously well, but they all bring something good to the feast. The perfection of the recording and playing is carried through to the triple-fold didgi-pak cover which is exceedingly elegant. This could be the ultimate Hadouk CD. Quite, stunning - totally cosmic in places, track 7 on the first CD, 'Barca Solaris' - wow! From the warmth of the audience reception you can tell they knew they were at a very special concert indeed. Highly recommended. Track Listing: CD One: Total Runtime 60.10 Vol de Nuit 7.11 (Ehrlich/Malherbe) Alma Celesta 6.53 (Shehan) - mp3 v real audio 1'19" Poème du Shamanimal 2.07 (Malherbe) Shamanimal 7.27 (Ehrlich/Malherbe) Nacarat 8.51 (Ehrlich/Malherbe) Salsa Movar 9.05 (Ehrlich/Malherbe) Barca Solaris 11.32 (Ehrlich/Malherbe) Dragon de Lune 7.00 (Ehrlich/Malherbe) - mp3 v real audio 1'19" CD Two: Total Runtime 60.06 Gopi 8.10 (Ehrlich/Malherbe) Bille en Tête 6.57 (Ehrlich/Shehan/Malherbe) Loukoumotive 8.26 (Ehrlich/Malherbe) O'Shehan Drum 2.18 (Shehan) Moussa 6.11 (Ehrlich) Dame des Sables 10.10 (Shehan) Peau de Banane 7.24 (Ehrlich/Malherbe) Musicians: Didier Malherbe: Doudouk, Flutes, Ocarina, Alto Clarinet, Soprano & Sopranino Saxophones Loy Ehrlich: Hajouj, Kora, Sanza, Claviers Steve Shehan: Percussion, Atmospheres Guests: Wasis Diop: Vocals trk 4/1 Peter Herbert: Contrebass trks 7/1, 8/1 Jean Philippe Rykiel: Sai-Sai trks 2/2, 3/2