Category Archives: Previews

Rahim AlHaj Trio Celebrates New Album at the Outpost

Rahim AlHaj Trio: Issa Malluf, Rahim AlHaj, Sourena Sefati.

Eighteen years ago, Iraqi oud virtuoso/composer Rahim AlHaj, his life threatened by the Saddam regime, which had already imprisoned and tortured him twice, emigrated to the United States with his oud, a few books and paintings, and $60. (A heavy smoker at the time, he claims, with a laugh, to have smoked the $60.) His trouble with the regime had its seeds in the early days of the Iran-Iraq War, when he was just 13 years old. He submitted a composition in Maqam Dasht (an Iraqi scale) to the quadrennial youth competition and won. Because Maqam Dasht is closely related to the Iranian Maqam Āvāz-eDašti, the composition was heard by some as an antiwar statement, a gesture of peace toward Iran. This Saturday, at the Outpost, AlHaj celebrates the release of his latest recording, One Sky(Smithsonian Folkways), which includes that same composition, enriched by AlHaj’s mature mastery of his instrument. He will be joined by his trio mates on the album: Iranian santur virtuoso Sourena Sefati, and Palestinian-American percussionist Issa Malluf. Continue reading

Enginergy: The Trio Engine Channels a Magical Energy (Updated)

Engine: Robin Gentien, Pierre Lauth-Karson, Alejandro Tomás Rodriguez. Photo by Ian Rivera. Courtesy of Engine.

On Wednesday evenings through May 2, in a funky back room at Dialogue Brewery, with its rebar-protected windows and its mismatched collection of office chairs, stools, folding chairs, and legless sofa, a series of Encuentros Íntimos—Intimate Encounters—offers an exciting musical experience with the trio Engine. The group, comprising Alejandro Tomás Rodriguez (vocals, acoustic guitar) from Argentina, and Robin Gentien (vocals, electric guitar, percussion) and Pierre Lauth-Karson (vocals, harmonica, percussion) from France, plays an unclassifiable genre of music that includes original and ancient songs delivered with irresistible rhythms, theatrical savvy, and transformative intention.

Update: Given the enthusiastic reception they’ve had in Albuquerque, Engine has decided to record their new album here, and they’ve launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund the project. Please visit their Kickstarter page to learn more and to contribute. Continue reading

Kristina Jacobsen and Meredith Wilder Take ‘Elemental’ Approach to New Album

Kristina Jacobsen and Meredith Wilder. Photo by Jesse Littlebird Photography, © 2018.

Two of the region’s admired singer/songwriters, Albuquerque’s Kristina Jacobsen and Meredith Wilder, the latter now residing in Louisville, Colorado, are this week releasing their much anticipated EP, Elemental, whose six cowritten tracks illuminate recent personal challenges and epiphanies in their lives. The handmade album also offers a testament to the process of songwriting collaboration that the two have been exploring over the last couple of years. They’ll celebrate the release with two appearances this weekend in Albuquerque. Continue reading

Guitar Heroes Honor the Late Guitar Hero Steve Maase on the Release of His Book, ‘Music Theory You Can Use’

Steve Maase. Courtesy of Lily Maase.

This Saturday at the Outpost, the Inaugural Steve Maase Legacy Guitar Summit will celebrate the life of local guitar legend Steve Maase and mark the official worldwide release of his book, Music Theory You Can Use, a guitar method book over 20 years in the making. Presented by his daughter Lily Maase, a formidable guitarist, producer, bandleader, and educator in her own right, and Guitar Dad Productions, the event includes three generations of Steve’s students. Included are several top-drawer names in the guitar world—Tim Pierce and Mikey Wright, whose work has backed such artists as Michael Jackson, Bruce Springsteen, and Elton John on more than 1,000 albums; and Eric McFadden—each of whom, like Lily herself, began their journey up the fingerboard here in Albuquerque under Steve’s tutelage. They’ll be joined by the rhythm section of the Great Blue Whales, the Albuquerque band with whom Steve played for years. “What we’re really trying to do is present an evening-long overview of who my father was as a player and how he touched us as a musician,” says Lily. The evening will include both some of Steve’s original music that has never been heard before, which Lily will play, and the music that helped shape him as a musician. Continue reading

Circuit Rider Embraces the Mystery

Circuit Rider: Bill Frisell, Ron Miles, and Brian Blade. Photo by John Spiral.

Circuit Rider comprises three of the most accomplished—and most generous—musicians on the planet: cornetist Ron Miles, guitarist Bill Frisell, and drummer Brian Blade. They ride into Albuquerque on February 25 for an Outpost fundraiser, and they bring with them a timely musical message that is reflected in both their material and their approach to it. Continue reading