Great Cities

There's no mistaking the royal pedigree. This luxurious, highly ornamented mixture of hand drums, kanun zither, violin, oud, and clarinet is as sumptuous as a fatty-food feast, heady as a pot of frankincense, and intoxicating as a shot of 151-proof rum. Percussionist Burhan Öçal and his rip-roaring ensemble specialize in the forgotten Gypsy music of Thrace with roots in an older repertoire designed to pamper the Ottoman sultans. Apart from preserving Turkish musical traditions during periods of Islamic opposition to music, Gypsy performers also added outside elements to the stew. Thus Ferdi Nadaz's microtonal clarinet flights on "Askin Sarabi" recall the Bulgarian wedding music rave-ups of Ivo Papasov, while the melodic motifs of "Bozkirda Dugun" suggest Yiddish klezmer. Scattered violin flourishes echo Indian sarangi phrases, and "Halli Dokuyan Kiz" with its sensuous zither and violin textures could easily pass for East African taarab. Holding it all together are the belly-dancing rhythms that punctuate the refined atmosphere with a healthy dose of hip-wiggle. Every note seems to promote well-being, but not without an accompanying naughty wink. --Bob Tarte