A wonderful reveiw of Paul Ely Smith’s new album, Handmade.
He makes of each performance an exercise in adaptive re-use, bending the sonic and melodic character of the taqsim to his own purposes and gifts, but allowing it to remain in the meditative space it’s always occupied. So while remaining true to the spirit of the taqsim, he makes it his own.
Not only has Paul synthesized tunes and styles from around the world to make a music unique unto himself, he’s also internalized the forms of those tunes. The result is music of an almost rough-cut simplicity that retains its freshness with repeated listening—yielding the kind of pleasure you might derive from viewing a finely crafted handmade rug.
I find Paul’s music to be deeply moving. Listen to a couple of tracks and see what you think.