The things I’ll do to see one of Idan’s shows. Now included on this ever-lengthening list: wake up at 5:30am to catch a bus from Philadelphia to Boston in time for the curtain call (shower first) at the Somerville Theater. Was it worth it, you ask? I ask you in return: Do birds have wings? Are there fish in the sea? It is always (always!) worth it.
Ever the musical innovator, Idan has teamed up with Malian guitarist Vieux Farka Touré in yet another epic cross-cultural collaboration. Together they are the Touré-Raichel Collective, touring to promote their new album, “The Tel Aviv Session”—a self-proclaimed spontaneous jam session between Raichel, Touré, Yossi Fine and Souleymane Kane, recorded and now available for your listening pleasure here. All but one of the original jammers are on the Touré-Raichel tour: Israeli bassist and vocalist Amit Carmeli performs the live show instead of Yossi Fine. But don’t worry, Carmeli is—?איך אומרים—awesome.
Like “The Tel Aviv Session” itself, much of Sunday’s concert was improvised. It was a show less about scripted performance than about that indescribable, spontaneous moment when four people’s musical spirits collide and form a new, exciting collage of sound. The atmosphere in the theater was comfortable, relaxed; as Idan told the audience, we were essentially witnessing another jam session in their living room. The music appeared to flow directly from the heart.
Amateur guitarist that I am, I was utterly wowed by Touré’s playing. I’ve never seen anyone move over the fret board as quickly and effortlessly as he did. Alternating between soft, background finger-picking and complicated solos, there was never a dull moment in his performance.
Touré’s bandmate Souleymane Kane was on the calabash—a round drum resembling a large, upside-down bowl that he held between his legs while sitting on the floor. Looking thoroughly happy to be on stage—his mere, smiling presence was enough to make everyone grin—he used both drumsticks and the heels of his hands to hit the drum, creating complex rhythms with the deceptively simple instrument.
As promised, Amit Carmeli was something else. Proving himself to be an incredible bass player, his pure, emotional vocal performance further captivated the audience. When he began to sing, the whole room leaned forward to listen, mesmerized. In a beautiful, raw voice, with vocal runs that rang of the Middle East, Carmeli sang pure feeling.
And Idan? Idan played as though there were no audience or boundaries in that moment (which moment? Every moment. Silly question) that could hold back his creative energy or his desire to experiment. The melodies he produced appeared to come out of his entire being, each sequence the result of a spontaneous emotion that had to be expressed. Using the entire piano—keys, strings and music stand, later to be joined by a piece of paper—to produce an inventive array of sounds, Idan’s performance was heartfelt and unforgettable.
Together, the four had an inspiring energy. Proving the old adage that music is a universal language, Raichel’s and Touré’s instruments often engaged in a type of musical conversation, sometimes dueling playfully, while at others matching each others’ melodies. With a mere glance or nod of a head, the group would yield seamlessly to one musician to play a solo in the spotlight; with another, almost imperceptible signal, a largely improvised song would come to a clean close.
The encore was the icing on the cake for fans of Idan’s primary group, the Idan Raichel Project. Returning to the stage after a short, applause-filled absence, the Touré-Raichel Collective played “Bo’ee,” the first single off of the Idan Raichel Project’s first album in 2002. An old song played with a distinctively Touré-Raichel sound on Sunday night, it was the perfect way to end the show: after an exhibition of the exciting new, a little taste of the beloved old.
But the icing on top of the icing: going backstage to congratulate Idan and the others in person. I don’t think I’ll ever get over the backstage thrill. The inevitable theater worker who doesn’t want to let me go back there at first; the cramped hallway filled with people, instruments and suitcases; the double takes and the looks of recognition (with the accompanying “Yooooo!”) from my musical idol; the bear hug.
All in all, spectacular music, spectacular people, spectacular night. If I were you, I wouldn’t miss it.
Summer Backstage 
Leave a comment