Sunrise

The debut album for tenor/soprano saxophonist Friedman. Jazz with a Middle Eastern emphasis. Seriously uplifting music. Guitarist Amos Hoffman doubles on oud, and Friedman includes a string quartet to back his sextet. Most of the tracks soar like crazy, but there's some swing going on here, too. Fans of Omer Avital and Abdullah Ibrahim should definitely be paying attention to this. Sunrise may be the strongest album I've heard this year. A majestic album, and my Pick of the Week.