...Some of the most interesting, original music coming from anybody in a long, long time.
Composer/trombonist Doug Scarborough presents a compelling collection of new works, fusing music of the West - jazz, with overtones of classical and prog rock - and traditional Middle Eastern elements. Setting the stage with his 2015 release Bridges, where he introduced the trombone to the world as an instrument capable of expressively playing Arabic scales (maqamat), The Color of Angels is a riveting follow-up as he retains the dynamic core of collaborators, Jeremy Siskind on piano, bassist Damian Erskine, and engineer/producer Bob Stark, while adding the distinct voices of violin virtuoso Akram Abdulfattah, Mustafa Boztüy on darbuka and the dynamic drummer, Reinhardt Melz. Possibly reminiscent of some recent projects by Nate Smith, Ibrahim Maalouf, or bassist Avishai Cohen, Scarborough's musical vision is exciting, surprising and cinematic in scope.
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Doug Scarborough - trombone
Akram Abdulfattah - violin
Jeremy Siskind - piano
Damian Erskine - bass
Mustafa Boztüy - darbuka
Reinhardt Melz - drums
Produced by Bob Stark & Doug Scarborough
Recorded by Bob Stark
at Crossroads Productions, Vancouver, WA
August 10-18, 2021
Additional recording by Michael Simon
at Coffee Ring Studios, Walla Walla, WA
Mastered by Nick Moon
at Tone Proper, Portland, OR
Art by Oleg Znamenskiy
Cover design & layout by John Bishop