Press for “Reza - Ray of the Wine” (CD/Mp3)
Drum Magazine - 3/1/2006
Outspoken: John Densmore Opening New Musical Doors
John Densmore is probably best known as the drummer for The Doors, but he’s certainly making efforts to branch out into different musical environments. On Ray of the Wine (Hen House Studios) he plays alongside Iranian master percussionist Reza Derakshani, an Egyptian bassist, and a Brazilian percussionist — the end result is a veritable melting pot of styles, all spearheaded by Derakshani’s rhythmic gymnastics.
DRUM!: How did you meet Reza Derakshani, and get the project together?
Densmore: I met him at Robert Bly’s Great Mother Conference, and he was performing solo. Then I went to his apartment in New York, and we jammed, [me] just on a hand drum and him on all his exotic instruments. It was magic. And then he asked me if I could sort of westernize his music.
DRUM!: Do you have much background playing percussion?
Densmore: I play traps on the album, and I have a Brazilian percussionist, Christina Berio, playing all that stuff … which I can fool around on. But then when you get with a master percussionist like Airto, you go, ‘Okay, I play traps.’
DRUM!: Reza is Iranian, correct?
Densmore: Yes, he’s there now, in Tehran. So, we’d better not bomb it, Dick Cheney. I don’t want my friend as collateral damage, thank you.
DRUM!: Sounds like a meeting of minds.
Densmore: It was really just a musical synchronicity and a love of Rumi, who is a very famous Persian poet. We did this a year and a half ago, and it’s just luck that it came out when these two countries are threatening each other. And I say, good luck, because we’re trying to build bridges, not bombs. I think it works.
DRUM!: Have you gotten any flak for working with an Iranian artist?
Densmore: There is not one review that is not astounding, they’re so flattering.
DRUM!: It’s great when you can use music to cut through all the political BS.
Densmore: I was doing an interview with a radio station in Montana, and they were just eating the record up. I hung up the phone and thought, ‘Man, cowboys are listening to Farsi. This is good. America is open.’ I mean, we did take in the Buena Vista Social Club.That was in another language. We’re into world music. We’re growing. I just want to get a message to Cheney, you need to learn about a culture before you bomb it.
DRUM!: Let’s talk about a few drum performances of Ray of the Wine. The first track ‘Wild Hair’
Densmore: ‘Wild Hair’ is a funk groove, and I told the bass player Osama Afiffi to play a Larry Graham kind of thing. He’s the original Sly Stone bass player who invented that finger-popping thing. And I played this funky groove, and we got right into it. That was easy.
DRUM!: What about the title cut?
Densmore: I like that one from a drumming standpoint, because it’s sort of this loping jazz groove that’s kind of similar to old Miles Davis records. Jimmy Cobb. That kind of loping 4/4 groove with a knock on 4. We pretty much improvised the whole thing, which was a lot of fun.
DRUM!: Where did the bare bones of the song come from?
Densmore: The bare bones came from Reza. In Persia they’re into different time signatures — seven, five — and they’re more relaxed in those than 4/4. And Reza wasn’t as relaxed in 4/4. So I sort of structured the whole groove, then we just went. He sang and played the tar, which is a gourd-like guitar, kind of like a sitar but not as elaborate. It was hard to mike it. I mean, they look like they belong in the Smithsonian, all the instruments. So he’d sing, and when he’d stop, he’d solo, and then he’d go back to the singing. At that time, Reza didn’t speak English that well. But you know, music, man, it crosses all these boundaries. And I’ve got to say, the rhythm section, Osama Afiffi, [percussionist] Christina Berio, and Quinn Johnson on piano, this is the basis of my new jazz group that is going to be out in the late summer-early fall. It’s called Tribaljazz. That’s a real drum fest.
DRUM!: When you grow up worshipping trap drummers, it must be an incredible experience taking in the percussion and culture of other countries.
Densmore: And it’s fun to play trap drums with a good percussionist, because then someone else is working the groove. In The Doors, live, there was no bass player. It was [keyboardist] Ray [Manzarek’s] left hand playing organ bass. So I had to work real hard at keeping the tempo steady, because when Ray would take a solo he’d get excited and his left hand would speed up. So now, I’m playing with a regular bass player, a percussionist, and in Tribaljazz I have two African hand drummers and Christina oh, I could stop. Or I could play with one hand. Or fill like crazy. It really frees me up. It’s really fun.
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Daily Breeze - Rave - 4/25/2005
Doors Drummer Making Iranian Music
John Densmore is opening doors again. The former drummer for the biggest L.A. band of the ’60s, The Doors, performs on a new album of Iranian classical music sung entirely in Farsi.
Ray of the Wine by Persian singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Reza Derakshani, is propelled by Densmore’s instantly recognizable, jazzy rock fill.
“I think you can embrace music and dig it without literally understanding the lyrics,” says Densmore, who also produced and arranged the album. “Think about the Buena Vista Social Club. You can get the feeling — and if you really want to, you can look up the words and find out what they mean.”
Densmore, 60, has also opened his own doors, to RAVE! for this rare interview. His hilltop Santa Monica home is encircled by lush greenery, a rustic wooden deck and two outdoor cats who forever beg to get inside.
Although the Doors are in the history books as Venice Beach’s most famous rock export, that’s not entirely accurate.
“Only Ray (keyboardist Manzarek) lived there,” says Densmore, who never resided anywhere but Santa Monica.
“I was born at Saint John’s Hospital, just like my mom,” he says.
A gong hangs at waist level in Densmore’s living room, across from a piano currently decorated by a book of Doors sheet music. A stairway off the kitchen hides the mandatory hall of gold records.
“I don’t really practice the drums that much,” he says. “I play hand drums a lot.”
Densmore met Derakshani (who goes by his first name, pronounced Ray-sah) years ago at a conference on spirituality taught by poet Robert Bly. Reza is famous across Europe — not only as a musician but as a painter. (Sting recently commissioned him to fresco the walls of a cathedral he owns in Italy.)
Reza told Densmore he wanted to westernize his music — to add elements of jazz and blues. “And I said, ’I’m your man,’” Densmore says.
The two first jammed in New York, in a tiny Upper East Side flat Reza rented before moving back to Iran.
“He is so multitalented,” Densmore says. “He plays traditional Iranian instruments. They’re really gorgeous. The kamanche is a violin made out of gourd, which he balances on his knee. And the ney flute is a hollow wooden reed. It’s so bizarre.”
Reza sent Densmore a demo tape of songs, which he set about rearranging.
“I didn’t know anything about Iranian music,” Densmore says, “but the melodies were already so accessible.”
“Ray of the Wine” was recorded in three days at Hen House Studios in Venice. That’s unusual brevity for any album, but especially one on which the drummer struggles with the timing.
“A couple of these songs are in 7/4 or something,” Densmore says. “I had to concentrate so hard. These musicians, they play in these odd time signatures, 5 and 7, like we play 4/4. It’s just ingrained, and it was a brain strain for me.”
As the political gap between America and Iran widens, Densmore says “Ray of the Wine” is already bridging some of the cultural gap.
“Several reviews have said, ’look at these two diverse cultures that are at each other’s throats, and here they are together on this record,’” he says. “And I did an interview with a radio station in Montana that loved the album. I hung up and I thought, ’God, cowboys listening to Farsi? This is good!’”
However, promoting the album has run Densmore afoul of some political conservatives, who feel he’s exploiting America’s current hostility toward Iran.
In “Ray’s” press release, Densmore describes the album as “peaceful sounds from the axis of evil.” In addition, he recently told the Asbury Park Press, “I think we ought to understand a culture before we bomb it.” Densmore, whose former band famously protested war in “The Unknown Soldier” and “Five to One,” has apparently not changed his tune.
“We had no idea about Iran being our next target when we did this album,” he says, “but I just love the timing here.” Densmore recently received a request to appear on Fox News’ “The O’Reilly Factor” to elaborate on his position.
“But it didn’t happen — and I don’t know if I was gonna do it anyway,” Densmore says, indicating his desire for a subject change.
Densmore is more accustomed to making headlines for Doors-related reasons; most recently, being the sole surviving reunion holdout. His former band mates, Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek, have toured since 2002 with former Cult singer Ian Asbury, who in his ’80s heyday was frequently compared to late Doors frontman Jim Morrison. Calling themselves the Doors of the 21st Century, the quasi-new band is performing in the Midwest and recording an album of fresh material.
Densmore is suing to stop Krieger and Manzarek from using their former band’s name. (A similar lawsuit has also been filed by George and Clara Morrison, Jim’s parents and controllers of his estate.)
“Let me say that Ray and Robby are great, and they should play,” he says. “And Ian’s good. But it’s not THE DOORS. ’Founding members of the Doors,’ fine, use that. Or maybe the coupes, because it takes four Doors to make a sedan.”
Densmore isn’t mollified by the “of the 21st Century” tag.
“And they’re not playing anything new, so I wouldn’t call them 21st century,” he says. “That’s what I’m doing.” Densmore laughs as the zinger plays back in his head.
“Oooh!” he says. “And you can print that!”
Most Doors fans feel conflicted by this battle, like a child of divorcing parents. They tend to agree with Densmore, yet can’t resist the chance to see Doors music performed live again. And when they go, they hate the fact that Densmore isn’t there.
“But their guys copy me pretty good,” Densmore says.
Densmore’s first replacement in the Doors of the 21st Century was former Police drummer Stewart Copeland (who also later sued them, for breach of contract, after getting sacked). Now Krieger sideman Ty Dennis mans the stool. Densmore planned to join the reunion, at least for a couple of dates. But he was sidelined by tinnitus at first; later, by his conscience.
“The idea was to play a gig or two with Ian — but not an entire tour,” he says. “The VH1 show (a 2001 episode of “Storytellers”) made so much sense to me because six different guys did a couple songs each as a tribute to Jim. But one guy doing the whole evening wearing leather pants?”
Densmore says he “wouldn’t rule out” the possibility of reuniting with his former band mates down the road, after the legal matters resolve themselves. He also mentions that a Doors TV documentary, a la “The Beatles Anthology,” is currently being discussed.
But for now, he looks forward to turning Doors fans onto Reza’s music. The two are mulling a summer tour together.
“I’ll probably say in the beginning, ’You’re not gonna hear ’light My Fire,’ but thank you for coming and be open to a spiritual journey,’” he says. “And we’ll get ’em dancing in the end.”
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Sound Stage - 5/1/2005
Reza: Ray of the Wine
Musician and painter Reza Derakshani was born in Tehran in 1952 and lived in New York for 20 years. He met Doors drummer John Densmore a few years ago at a conference in Wisconsin and asked the American musician to help him bring his music to a broader audience. Reza, a virtuoso on several traditional Middle Eastern instruments, has played with Branford Marsalis, cellist David Darling, and Madonna.
Thus, he is no stranger to Western music, but Ray of the Wine doesn’t bury his ancient, exotic sounds in a pop-music mush. Densmore has used restraint and taste in helping Reza translate his music into something we can understand, and he has done it without sacrificing its cultural roots.
Reza plays several string instruments (tar, sitar, kamanche) and a reed called a ney. He bases many of his songs on classic Persian verse and sings them in a hypnotic voice that is beautiful and, by Western standards, unusual. His melismatic embellishments are profoundly moving because they are so sincere and so unlike what we identify as emotion in current pop singing.
Yet, there is nothing disconcerting or unsettling about his music. Densmore helps us make the transition easily in some tunes, such as “Mashnavi” and the title tune, but he and the other musicians on the disc never overwhelm Reza’s musical traditions. The most powerful tunes, “I’m Back” and “Heart of Fire,” are sparely arranged and show no Western influence.
The sound on Ray of the Wine is stunningly clear and open — it breathes naturally with the music. The engineer was Harlan Steinberger, whose Hen House Studios records young musicians free in exchange for permission to film them as they work in the studio.
Ray of the Wine would be worthwhile even if it had been badly recorded. As it is, I can assure you won’t regret buying this astonishing, challenging disc.
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The Doors Collectors Magazine -3/18/2005
Reza: Ray of the Wine
John Densmore’s long awaited CD project is finally out on the Henhouse Label!
The CD is produced by Densmore, who also plays drums throughout. It features Iranian born singer, Reza Derakshani who plays an entire range of funky ancient instruments like the Tar, Sehtar and the bowed Tarmanche and Kamanche, as well as the bamboo flute known as the Ney and the Daf, a hand drum.
While only playing traditional instruments, Derakshani plays them with such feeling that they wail with bluesy feeling, much like how Hendrix played the electric guitar. The songs are a blend of Persian, Moroccan, African, Indian and Western music is at once earthy, mystical and seductive, as traditional rigor meets improvisational freedom and complex, passionate melodies couple with relentless grooves.
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Sound Check - 3/23/2005
Previews and Reviews — Reza: Ray of the Wine
Every so often, there comes along a CD that, for all my suspicions, I can’t help but like. Such is the case with Reza’s Ray of the Wine. First, I was dissuaded from listening to the CD because its pastel, tie-dyed cover looked like a Bob Marley imitation, one I probably wouldn’t choose
Then I popped the CD in on my drive home from work. Busily navigating Phoenix’s downtown streets, it took me a while to realize I couldn’t understand a thing the singer was saying. Imagine my surprise when I discovered, on doing my homework, that Reza Derakshani is an Iranian musician, singing in Arabic
Middle Eastern music is a tough sell in the best of circumstances, because its approach to sound is very different from that of Western musicians. But, apparently the sound was enough to convince Hen House Studios to take a chance on the work. So I settled down into my headphones later at home, and gave a listen
What I heard absolutely surprised me. Yes, as music in a language I don’t understand, Ray of the Wine can’t offer me the nuance of some other groups. But as all-out entertainment, few CDs are as compelling as this one
Imagine if you will a cross between a sound score for The Arabian Nights and a contemporary R & B jam session. I’ll admit it’s a stretch, but that’s as close as I’ll get to an accurate description. The music combines the ancient instruments of Persia with the grooves and electronic bass of the best blues band.
It’s hard to lay that high-energy sound down with the lyrics for songs like “Wild Hair,” as in “your wild hair made me wander around the world like Majnoon. My heart is bleeding in separation, and that’s the wine I drink.” But somehow, Reza does. Other numbers, like Ray of the Wine and “Zhaleh” are amazing in their lyrical quality. Though not quite a contemporary Rumi, Reza’s work is beautiful poetry, too.
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Asbury Park Press -3/7/2005
Former Doors drummer John Densmore Nurtures Iranian Talent
Talk about eerie timing. Hours before President Bush called Iran the “world’s primary state sponsor of terror” in his Feb. 2 State of the Union speech, former Doors drummer John Densmore was on the line to discuss a new album by Iranian musician Reza Derekshani, which he recorded.
“I think we ought to understand a culture before we bomb it,” Densmore said with a laugh.
“I remember I was in L.A., my home town, in the ’80s when all of these Iranians came in, and everyone was making jokes about them. You know, there was some racism going on. But now, (Vice President) Dick Cheney is part of our P.R. team. He threatens the country, and then we back it up with: ’Hey, listen to the music first.’ Can’t thank him enough.”
Anyone who recalls the Doors’ often dark, hippie-era hits such as “The End,” “Roadhouse Blues” and “Love Me Two Times” won’t be surprised at Densmore’s candor — or his liberalism.
Densmore produced and played on Reza’s new CD, “Ray of the Wine” (Stone Mountain Entertainment), which mixes eclectic instruments and musical genres. Densmore believes music has the power to break cultural barriers.
“The more you get into a culture via the arts — their music and movies, whatever it is — the more personal it is,” the Los Angeles native, 59, tells PAGE X.
“You go, ’Oh, my God, they’re people. They’re not collateral damage.’ Everybody is precious. Each culture has a gift to give to the — quote, unquote — ’rainbow coalition.’ We need everybody, because everybody has a uniqueness.
“That said, I think it’s so great to be exposed to the 166 different cultures on the planet. The more, the better. Makes you more into one world. I mean, I know that sounds idealistic.”
Densmore reports that Reza is currently in Tehran.
“He’s back home,” the musician says. “We talk over e-mail. He says, ’You’ve got to come and play, but you might get arrested.’
“Well-l-l, I’ll think about it. The relations are so strained right now.”
Densmore and Reza first met a few years ago during the Great Mother Conference, an artistic symposium held annually in various locations.
Recalls Densmore: “He couldn’t speak English that well; he speaks Farsi. But when we sat down and played music, we spoke volumes.”
“Ray of the Wine” was recorded in three days in Venice, Calif.
“Basically,” Densmore says, “it was done live with these exotic instruments in kind of a Western-jazz-hip-hop-rock arrangement. You know, some of these instruments — tar and kamanche — look like they should be in the Smithsonian.
“There’s been a trend in America in the last 10 or 15 years that we are open to hearing music in other languages — not knowing the translation, necessarily. Because, you can get the feeling of a culture from the music, even if you don’t literally understand the lyrics. I think that’s a step, you know? So we’re coming along as a global village.”
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The Celebrity Cafe.com - 3/5/2005
Reza: Ray of the Wine
I would describe this record as the Middle East meets the blues. Persian-American Reza, worked with the Doors’ John Densmore to produce the most unique album that I’ve heard in years.
First off, it retains the feel of Middle Eastern music while still mingling in influences of this Western world. Reza jokes that his album is “peaceful sounds from ’the Axis of Evil.”’ It really does help give you a different light on the current world.
Instead of looking at the Middle East as a foreign world, his music makes it feel as if it’s close and common.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8.5
Reader’s Rating: 9.00
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As seen on VH1 Music First - 3/7/2005
John Densmore Opens Door to Mideast Music
John Densmore, the former drummer of The Doors, hasn’t only been fighting to keep Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek from touring as The Doors of the 21 Century, he’s been championing an Iranian artist by the name of Reza.
It’s hard for a Middle-Eastern musician to get accepted in post-9/11 America, so it’s lucky for Reza that the ex-Door has taken him under his wing. Even so, Densmore says it’s important to get the facts before making a judgment on a group of people.
Actuality, “I think we should learn more about a culture before we bomb it. I suppose the Iranians would be more open to being liberated than the Iraqis. We could liberate Watts too, that would be a priority I would favor.” John Densmore’s Iranian project – Reza, Ray of The Wine, is available now.
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CBS Radio - 3/3/05
Reza: Ray of the Wine
“FOUR STARS (Highest Rating). Fills the heart and soul unlike anything you’ve ever heard before. Beyond beautiful.” - Todd David Schwartz
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www.Neufutur.com - 2/23/2005
Reza: Ray of the Wine
Reza’s music is interesting. That’s probably the only thing that came to my mind when I first came to listen to ‘Ray of the Wine’. The only Persian-American that I’ve ever reviewed, Reza mixes two heritages incredibly well, placing in a traditional set of instruments with more American ones (bass, electronic keyboard). What first emanates to listeners’ ears is ‘Wild Hair’, a foreign-language track that skillfully mixes the ancient and new, the east and the west to create a cross-cultural amalgamation that will play as well in Peoria as it will in Tehran.
The title track is much more contemplative, but still uses the extraordinarily complex arrangements by Reza to push forward the track even with the slowish tempo threatening to hold matters back. The infusion of blues lines (on piano) gives the track two distinct histories, that of Reza’s own past and that of the culture in which they see theirself.
To listen to the complete disc is daunting, as unlike more contemporary American music, Reza places an innumerable amount of layers over one another and also uses eir voice as one of the key instruments on every track of ‘Ray of the Wine’.
The building action of a track like ‘I’m Back’ shows an individual who has invested all eir can into this disc, and will draw listeners in not just by the music on the disc but on the emotions espoused in every line he sings and every arranged note.
Moving into the epic ‘Masnavi’, Reza takes a huge risk in creating such a Spartan soundscape for the opening, crucial moments of the track. Of course, the meat of the track is found much later with the interplay of didgeridoo, flue, bass and percussion, but those opening moments are most likely the least instrumented a song can still get and maintain its hold on an audience.
This combination that Reza succeeds with in ‘Ray of the Wine’ is a revolutionary move for both traditional and popular music. The incorporation of so many different styles of music in a snowball effect that creates a brand new style of music happens very rarely on a single disc, much less an entire lifespan of a band.
However, Reza is able to create this new Frankenstein’s monster in the space of fifty minutes. Look for this album to be the taste of the town for music fans in the know and NPR, but it will take a loosening of musical xenophobia here in America to allow this album to get the publicity it deserves.
Top Track: Masnavi
Rating: 7.0/10
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smother.net - 2/18/2005
Editor’s Pick “Reza - Ray of the Wine”
Touted as ‘peaceful sounds from the axis of evil’, Reza’s ‘Ray of the Wine’ is indeed a ray of light from a torn region. Former Doors drummer John Densmore produced this eclectic Middle Eastern album that features Persian musician Reza laying a foundation that could help bridge the gap between Western music and Middle Eastern culture.
With fantastic bass lines that groove to the percussion and superb sitar play, ‘Ray of the Wine’ is both inspiring and dauntingly familiar with its catchy melodies that will turn pop on its head. The lyrics consist mostly of Persian ancient poetry with a peppering of his own penned words as he plays sitar, the tar, ney, and kamanche. Sprinkle in some didgeridoo, strings, organ, and piano and you’ve got the perfect recipe for success.
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Evolution of Media - 2/18/2005
Reza: Ray of the Wine
Can you imagine a record that combines the trippy-sound of the Doors and the mystical ambiance of Alice Coltrane? Can you really imagine what that might sound like? Well look no further, the record is called Ray Of The Wine and the genius behind it all is Perian-American, multi-instrumentalist and vocalist called Reza.
One major highlight of Ray of the Wine is the involvement of John Densmore, the former drummer for the Doors. The two have joined together and released the most innovative and magical record since the recording between Alice Coltrane and Carlos Santana. Ray of the Wine was recorded live in three days and I will put money down that during those three days there were many magical moments in the studio.
The funk driven “Wild Hair” is a great song to start the record off with, it’s a great attention grabber due to the solid and infectious Doors-ish rhythms sprinkled with wild blends of hypnotic Middle Eastern sounds. John quotes “Reza played instruments that I have never really seen before”. “Ray Of The Wine the first single, is a hypnotic quest into the unknown. What makes the single so cool is the heavy spiritual and peaceful tones. Remember Alice Coltrane’s “Journey In Satchidananda” recorded in 1970, it’s that same type of vibe just updated to fit with today. The DJs will have a feel day with the track “Zhaleh”, it’s totally bass-heavy, triphop-ish but danceable. It’s a hip track, I would have definitely released this track first to the public.
A few of the tracks are quite intense, take for instance the eight minute opus “Masnavi” which begins with a wind instrument blowing alone and then all of a sudden the song takes a left turn and develops into a full blown jam session with Middle Eastern chants. It’s wild!
I’m going to try not to spoil all the surprises of this record by telling too much because I believe that the music and style of this recording will speak for itself, and should be explored without the ending being told. I will say one thing, I find Ray of the Wine the perfect driving music especially after a busy workday. It also makes for cool chillout or background music too. Hipsters, I suggest that you run out now and be one of the very first to get your copy of Ray of the Wine. After listening to Reza you will be proud that you added him to your personal collection.
4.5 STARS
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Music Industry News Network - 1/27/2005
Peaceful Sounds From ’the Axis Of Evil’: The Middle East Meets West On Ray Of The Wine
Not everything is strife and buggery between the Middle East and the United States, and leave it to Doors drummer John Densmore to show us the light — or rather, the Ray. He has produced what Hen House Studios founder and President Harlan Steinberger calls “a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful record.”
Not that Steinberger is biased or anything, just because his Venice, Calif., based music recording and film complex is uncorking Ray of the Wine, on Feb. 1, the highly anticipated Hen House Studios debut from renowned Persian-American multi-instrumentalist, composer and vocalist Reza.
Reza observes, “The fact that a Persian musician worked with one of The Doors is a big deal.”
Think of this historical pairing as the Middle East meets West in the Hen House where the quintessential American rock musician’s mandate was to westernize the arrangements of the Persian folk and classical music that Reza, a longtime New Yorker, has been wanting to bring stateside. The emphasis track, Ray of the Wine is already making a splash at Triple A radio.
Densmore, who played drums on the album and wrote its vivid liner notes, humorously describes Ray of the Wine as “peaceful sounds from ’the Axis of Evil,’” adding reverently, “Reza plays magic. He has all these instruments that look like they belong in the Smithsonian.”
Comparing each song on Ray of the Wine to “a painting, with different colors and feelings,” Reza strokes the rhythms and melodies of mysticism, divinity, and human love — most taken from the lyrical pages of ancient Persian poetry and a few he wrote — with “brushes” such as the tar, sitar, ney, kamanche, and Farsi incantations.
Ironically, Densmore wasn’t familiar with certain instruments to be used on Ray of the Wine when he and Reza began pre-production, but laughs, “I immediately resonated to the music and knew what to do. It sounds a little pompous, but I got it.”
An acclaimed painter whose evocative water color imagery ensconces the CD, Reza says, “I want to make the connection, even if the language is different. The music translates to the American audience. There’s more recognition of Indian music and the Arab world in the West, but there hasn’t been a lot of understanding of Persian music, because it hasn’t been introduced the way it should be, in order to make a connection. This music has that quality, the way it’s presented, and I hope makes it more listenable. “The music is not totally traditional or from a different world,” he assures quietly. “People can relate to it, at least in terms of the color and arrangement.”
Densmore adds, “It blows my mind that in the last 10 years, America is accepting music in languages it can’t speak. Look at the Buena Vista Social Club; it went through the roof. You get the feeling of the culture, even if you don’t literally understand the lyrics. Reza’s songs are so beautiful that they transcend the language barrier.”
Ray of the Wine was recorded live in three days, and conveys the improvisation of “instruments talking to each other,” as Densmore succinctly explains. However, all that spontaneity among crack musicians Osama Afiffi (electric bass), Quinn Johnson (keyboards), Christina Berio (percussion), Stephen Kent (didgeridoo), took a lot of cross-country pre-production between him and Reza.
“It was really fun, like a jazz record,” says Densmore, who was also the executive producer along with Steinberger, whose revolutionary Hen House Studios offers free recording time to musicians in exchange for the right to film them during the process.
Reza asserts, “Harlan kept the record alive,” referring to the long hibernation of Ray of the Wine after its completion.
Born in Tehran, Reza studied Persian classical and folk music. His recording credits include soundtrack and recording collaborations with renowned artists. Recent Reza performances include the MAXXI Museum in Rome, Lensic Performing Art Center in Santa Fe, and two performances at the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art. He and Densmore plan to gig in Los Angeles in the spring, with the distinct possibility of touring behind Ray of the Wine.
It’s a concept as intoxicating as the album itself. Cheers to that.
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