100 Unheralded Albums from 2010

James Falzone's Allos Musica: LamentationsJames Falzone’s Allos MusicaLamentations (Allos Documents, 11/12/10)

James Falzone’s Allos Musica: “The First Lament: Raqs al-Janub”

[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/James_Falzone_The_First_Lament_Ra.mp3|titles=James Falzone’s Allos Musica: “The First Lament: Raqs al-Janub”]

Composer and clarinetist James Falzone has written a small library of intricate pieces for his own ensembles and countless other groups, covering chamber, jazz, world, folk, and classical music in the process.  His Allos Musica ensemble has served as a conduit to many of those genres, and its newest release, Lamentations, reflects Falzone’s appreciation of Arabic music.

The album, in fact, reflects Falzone’s troubles with the second US invasion of Iraq, and as a result of these troubles, he sought Arabic neighborhoods around the time that the war began in order to study Mesopotamia’s rich musical history.  Lamentations is a collection of songs performed by trio (clarinet, oud, and hand percussion), and it’s a beautiful effort — one that hopefully is effective in humanizing victims of war.

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