Nguyên Lê - Maghreb And Friends (1998)

Two of the most overworked words in contemporary jazz criticism are "fusion" and "soundscape". The former is routinely applied to any music incorporating elements from ostensibly discrete stylistic or cultural traditions, the latter to music in which the overall aural effect is thought to be as important as its individual constituents; each can serve to mask critical confusion on being presented with a hodgepodge, an arbitrary mix of sounds and textures gathered magpie-fashion, more for their superficial attractiveness than from any deep conviction that they will form an indispensable part of a satisfying artistic whole.Nguyên Lê’s music in general - and Maghreb & Friends in particular - irresistibly brings both words to mind, but its richness, originality and sheer integrity ensure that each can be used in its...