Date: February 18th, 2012
Venue: Town Hall New York Citytow

Review by Piruz Partow

Music passed through family can be a very special thing. Like many Persian musical families, Homayoun Shajarian, son of Iran’s most famous vocalist Ostad Mohammad Reza Shajarian, carries with him a fantastic musical tradition and this was evident in his performance with the Hesar Ensemble. Obviously expectations are high when you are the great Shajarian’s son. Homayoun has definitely been under the watchful eyes of his father; performing in his fathers group as a vocalist and zarb player for decades now. Homayoun Sharijan had already had some wonderful performances away from his fathers shadow most notably with Ostad Hamid Motabassam’s Simroq project. So even with high expectations, this performance did not disappoint and in fact assured that this great vocal tradition will be carried on for another generation.

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Artist: Kiosk
Title: Triple Distilled – Live at Yoshi’s “Seh Taghtireh”
Label: 9821 Productions
Genre: World/Persian contemporary

Review by Piruz Partow

Kiosk‘s live recording at the world famous Yoshi’s Jazz Club in Oakland is a fun listen with upbeat   energy and spirit. For the non-Farsi speaker, a lot can be lost with this recording, so it is recommended to refer to the Kiosk website that conveniently gives translations of the song. This record has a lot of gypsy spirit to it compared to other recordings by Kiosk that are more rock and funk oriented. With heavy violin and accordion this album really shows a heavy influence in the Jazz Manouche or Gypsy Jazz that was created by the great Django Reinhardt in Europe in the mid 20th century. A real highlight on the record is a guest appearance by Bruno Pelletier who plays in a very gitan/gypsy style on several tracks. Where some live albums tend to hold a band back and show their limitations, this record shows how versatile and diverse Kiosk is. The sound quality and arrangements are top notch with quality musicianship filled with both intensity and control. This record is a must for any farsi speaking music lover.

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Date: February 18, 2012
Venue: 92nd Street Y Tribeca (NY)

Review by Jeremy Siskind

Jessica Lurie‘s set at the 92nd Street Y Tribeca, which previewed her upcoming CD, Megaphone Heart, skillfully wove elements of jazz, soul, folk, rock, and world music into a constantly surprising musical tapestry. Lurie, a virtuosic saxophonist, flautist, and vocalist, boasted an equally rich and personal tone on all three instruments. Her band, whose members’ backgrounds include both jazz and non-jazz experience, was anchored by a dynamic rhythm section of rising-star drummer Allison Miller and broad-toned bassist Todd Sickafoose, who also co-produced her album.

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1. Jenny Scheinman’s Mischief & Mayhem w/ Nels Cline, Jim Black and Todd Sickafoose

Date: Monday, February 20, 2012
Time: 7:30pm
Venue: Le Poisson Rouge (158 Bleecker Street, New York, NY 10012, ph: 212- 505-3474)
Ticket: $18
Genre: Jazz/experimental

Jenny Scheinman, violin / Nels Cline, guitar / Trevor Dunn, bass / Jim Black, drums

The luminous aspects of the violinist’s songbook take a backseat when she leads this wonderfully frenzied outfit. Nels Cline’s cyclone guitar work is often up front, but the music’s architecture demands full participation from all, so drummer Jim Black’s pummels and bassist Todd Sickafoose’s tub-thumping are crucial. Neat trick: even Scheinman’s most menacing squalls have a bit of romance to them. - Jim Macnie for the Village Voice
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Date: Friday, February 17, 2012
Time: 8:00pm
Venue: Town Hall  (123 West 43rd Street, New York, NY 10036, 212-840-2824 )
Tickets: $45, $65
Genre: Persian Classical Music & Flamenco

This is a must to see concert for all Persian Classical Music lovers! DooBeeDoo is going to review it tonight.

1. Xalam Project & The Mast + Jam session

Date: Monday, February 12, 2012
Time: 7pm – 9pm (jam session 9pm -10pm)
Venue: PIANOS (158 Ludlow St., New York, NY 10002
Ticket: donation
Genre: Middle Eastern music/oud music

Brandon Terzic is an up and coming oud virtuoso who has not only gotten a firm hold on the tradition, but has begun to add to the language and contexts of the instrument. He leads an outstanding lineup of musicians and they will be bringing there world/jazz stylings to the Pianos. The Lineup: BrandonTerciz (oud), Matt Kilmer (percussion), John Shannon (guitar) and Chris Mees (bass).

The Mast “A promising new Brooklyn duo comprised of mesmerizing singer-guitarist Haale and limber percussionist Matt Kilmer.” – TimeOut NY
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Date: February 3, 2012
Venue: Asia Society (NY)

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Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

Here is a new Sven Kacirek  video by Agnieszka Krzeminska. The soundtrack is “Old Man Small Studio” from his album The Kenya Sessions. I love the visuals which really match well with the soundtrack. Enjoy!

Date: Saturday, February 11, 2012
Time: 7-9pm
Venue: Laughing Lotus Yoga NY (59 West 19th Street, 3rd Floor, New York, NY 10011)
Ticket: $15
Genre: dance and music

DANCE CLASS is a movement meditation that feels like the best dance party EVER. 2 hours of nonstop grooves in the Dance Hall at Laughing Lotus: bangin system, floors built for bare feet, and an arsenal of beats from dance maven/bass freak Natasha Blank.

This is your invitation to LET GO, surrender your head to the intelligence of your breath, shake out everything that holds you back, and sweat out your week with a family of crazy dancers.

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Photo by Antoin Sevruguin (1830s-1933)

Text by Sohrab Saadat Ladjevardi

The last time I went to a Zurkhane (or Zorkhana or Zourkhaneh lit. “house of strength”, the traditional gymnasium of urban Persia and adjacent lands) in Teheran was when I was a teenager. 42 years ago? At that  time I still lived in Germany. And every year during my summer school vacation I visited my family in Teheran. During my stay there I spent mostly of my time in the bazaar, museums, mosques, Teheran’s red-light district, went up the Elbrus Mountains and many other places without telling my parents about it. Because they might have stopped me. Some of the places were taboo, but as a young man I wanted to see the real Iran with my own eyes.

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