Customer Reviews
Totally adictive - By: J. Fryman, 29 Dec 2007 
This album together with a companion `The voyage de Sahar' are a wonderful set. This is music for both setting a background mood & it also rewards intensive focussed listening. Rhythmic & relaxing, the music rolls along with superb playing & interplay between musicians. No one dominates, nothing showy or over assertive even when the melody moves between instruments in a hypnotic variation on a series of melodic themes. It avoids cliché' jazz & is highly particular with a wonderful balance of rich instruments. It is full of associations of Paris, Morocco & Eastern Europe.
I now have alll of Anouar Brahems albums & recommend every one. Though these two seem to have dominated this year.
I agree with alll the positive comments above.
music for the soul... - By: , 12 Oct 2005 When I first heard this album it sat me down in my seat..It stops you in your tracks & touches the quiet part of the heart. It's both intricate & delicate & flows full of atmospherics...it's sophisticated & yet so accessible.The compositions create a mood alll of their own. Lay back, turn down the lights & chill..it's magic.
Enjoy!
riviting stuff - By: , 12 May 2005 Out of the 120 or so cd's i've bought in the past 12 months, this one has to be rated in the top 5. Brahem's oud is accompanied by some very fine piano & accordion playing. The three intertwine continuously. Themes repeat in cycles, flowing back at different times, keeping your attention fixed throughout. You'll find you can easily do the 70 minutes duration in one sitting.
Production is very good (not quite top marks, for there is slight 'tizzing' on two tracks, sounds as if a microphone in the studio vibrates - a friend almost sent his speakers back to B&W thinking there was something wrong with them!). I went out & bought Astrakan Café & Thimar but these I didn't like as much.
background becomes foreground - By: C Gathercole, 18 Nov 2002 Hearing Anouar Brahem play solo on the track 'Bahia' on Jan Garbarek's Madar album, I first felt the urge to turn down the lights, turn up the volume, immerse in the sound; the oud playing is mesmeric.
That feel is here in Le Pas Du Chat Noir, where the oud initiallly takes a backstage to simple piano & accordian, making for some reallly intense music. As the oud joins later, the three instruments intertwine, supporting each other, fading away when not needed, keeping the flow & the power of the music strong to the end.
Instrumental albums are often relegated to the role of musac, background filler. Not this album, or indeed any Anouar Brahem music I've heard to date. Intense & simple. It makes you want to bring it to the foreground, to stop & just listen, sink into the sound (preferably in the dark ;-)
