Kula Kulluk Yakisir Mi (Live In Bursa / 2011)

These days, Kayman Kalhor can be found playing kamancheh (a Persian spiked fiddle) as a principal member of The Silk Road Ensemble, alongside Yo-Yo Ma and others. Yet Erdal Erzincan—who plays a baglama, a long-necked lute from Asia Minor—is actually one of Kalhor's most frequent collaborators. To the untrained ear, this music might sound like it came from India; it has the same complex intertwining melodies and open-ended structure as ragas. Yet Kalhor's singing bow work and Erzincan's driving, rhythmic playing are anchored to music from the western side of Asia; the album cover aptly features a photo of Istanbul from water. Recorded live in 2011 as a follow-up to the duo’s celebrated 2004 album The Wind, this set ebbs and flows gracefully as the duo mostly alternates between improvisation and Turkish folk tunes. Highlights include the insistent “Alli Turnam” and the fiery musicianship of “Improvisation II,” yet the album is best savored when served up as a whole.