Artist: Djabe
Album: Before
Label: GR1993 Records
Year Of Release: 2022
Format: FLAC (tracks+.cue)
Tracklist:
CD 1:
01. Before (4:42)
02. Could Have Been (6:18)
03. Stars And Moonbeams (6:54)
04. Teen Days (6:18)
05. Tale (5:34)
06. Silent Travelers (6:10)
07. Franciska (5:41)
CD 2:
01. Central European Time (5:20)
02. Hurdy Minute (1:10)
03. The Mysterious Tower (3:50)
04. Walking On Hot Asphalt (5:12)
05. Dawn (7:34)
06. Started Here (7:02)
07. Mist (6:48)
08. After (6:15)
âThe album âBeforeâ, which will be released firstly in double CD format, contains fifteen new original recordings. Although the beautiful photos of the four-panel digi sleeve packaging once again praise the beauty of Sardinia, this time the recording sessions were taken in Hungary, Denmark and England.
On the double album, the current line-up of Djabe can be heard as the core band, namely: TamĂĄs BarabĂĄs bass guitar, guitar, synthesizer program, vocals, sound engineer; Attila ĂgerhĂĄzi guitar, percussion, producer; Ăron KoĂłs-HutĂĄs trumpet, French horn, PĂ©ter KaszĂĄs vocals, drums; ZoltĂĄn BubenyĂĄk keyboards.
As well as four guest artists already known from previous records: Steve Hackett guitar, harmonica; Rob Townsend sax; Tibor Karvaly electric violin; Ăva Kozma koboz and a newcomer in Djabe colors, violinist György Mesics.
As usual, once again the colorful arrangement plays a bouquet of songs that is perhaps even more colorful than before, in sound quality that is considered to be top-class worldwide. Through which the instrumental qualities of the virtuosos, the extra colors and moods added by the guests, and the especially progressive song structures of the authorsâ compositions, which are built from diverse stylistic elements, are very well enforced.
Similar to the album âThe Magic Stagâ released two years ago, the performance of singer PĂ©ter KaszĂĄs is again overwhelming. Such professional vocal performance, with absolute reason and measure, adapted to the needs of the given composition, can be heard almost exclusively on American soul, superpop and westcoast albums of the previous century. Peti doesnât push anything too far, he doesnât bend mindlessly anywhere, he doesnât scream at the top of his lungs, he doesnât want to show how great a king he is at all costs. On the other hand, as much as he sings, it is exemplary, and could even be immediately included in the curriculum of any professional music school in the world. Personally, the title track is the winner for me, but itâs completely understandable if someone elseâs favorite is âStars And Moonbeamsâ with lyrics by Jo Hackett.
I thought a lot about what else could be written about Djabeâs music after such an oeuvre, and what could be highlighted from the new set of songs. But even after a week and a half of brooding, I couldnât come to anything other than that the compositions of âBeforeâ continue to bring the usual high standard, while still ignoring genre boundaries, but freely wandering between eras and genres.
In case of Djabe, TamĂĄsâ composition âStarted Hereâ may seem like a new tone, which exudes an atmosphere of unusual gravity, almost dark music. Another interesting novelty is âMistâ, in which Steve Hackett plays the accordion, evoking the cheerful, liberated, jamming moments of the encores of the last tours. After his first two daughters, Alma and Kitti, TamĂĄs also captured the newborn Franciska on the new album. May God richly bless the youngest baby Djabe and his family!
The double CD edition of âBeforeâ also sounds extremely good, and moreover, it has an attractive design and is a must-have piece for a collection.
