Mustapha Skandrani - Istikhbars and Improvisations LP xx1998 The third of three crucial

The third of three crucial Verlaines albums recorded in the 1980s and released by Flying Nun

this historic document is required listening

He builds on the romantic themes of his last album 'Signals In My Head' and evolves them with shades of blue

Devoid of human voice or instrumentation

as the soundtrack suggests over the credits

Mustapha Skandrani - Istikhbars and Improvisations LP xx1998 The third of three crucialMustapha Skandrani. Besides having an excellent name, this man, a luminary of Algerian music, possessed a unique musical sense, able to transcend the borders of musical cultures to create a distinctive fusion of Arabo Andalusian and European styles. "Istikhbars and Improvisations", recorded in 1965 in Paris, is a solo piano album presenting a trans Mediterranean crossover based on traditional Algerian vocal pieces known as Istikhbars. Playing these