https://youtu.be/zcG0SX6KaJs
https://youtu.be/DuqQTUw_MOU

James Falzone: clarinet, shruti box, low whistle
Ronnie Malley: oud, voice, harmonium
Jeremiah McLane: accordion
Tim Mulvenna: hand drums and percussion


Recorded by John Abbey on November 7 & 8 at Kingsize Sound Labs, Chicago
Mixed and edited by James Falzone and John Abbey
Mastering by Scott Anthony at Storybook Sound, Maplewood, NJ
Design by Dan Mohr of yes.I.said
Photos of Allos Musica Ensemble by Marc Perlish

GNOSSIENNE
Allos means “otherly” and the ensemble which bears its name has always been a medium through which I synthesize and amalgamate seemingly disparate musical worlds. The group has been together, in one fashion or another, since 2000, but came into its present state in 2013 and is now, with this instrumentation and the incredible musicianship of Ronnie, Jeremiah, and Tim, the fullest realization of what I desire the group to be. Though I lead Allos Musica Ensemble, there is a collective spirit at work and the sounds you hear on Gnossienne were arrived at in the midst of performance, with improvisation at the center. Below I offer thoughts on the music of the album, as a bit of history and context, but never as a listening guide: you will hear only what you will hear.

GNOSSIENNE 1, 2, & 3
I have been fascinated by the music of Erik Satie for many years. He was a master of bending forms and of inviting the listener into a disorienting sonic world. His piano compositions known as Gnossiennes­­­—there are 6 in all—offer an intriguing study of exoticism and delicacy. They also fit beautifully for Allos Musica Ensemble, the Middle Eastern scented modes landing perfectly on the oud and the undulating pulse of the original left hand of the piano working like a Parisian squeeze box once translated to the accordion. My arrangements keep things simple and true to the original though there is occasional added material and an improvisatory feel throughout. My hope is that the eccentric Satie, who was known to eat only white foods and collected thousands of umbrellas during his life, would smile at these arrangements and pronounce them “trés bon!”

ARJA’I YA ALF LAILA
This lovely song, known as a Muwashah, dates from the Andalusian period of Islamic history and is one of the oldest pieces in the Allos Music Ensemble repertoire. It was released on Lamentations (Allos Documents 005) i.......
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