Hope in an Empty City

Hope in an Empty City
Studio album by
Joseph Tawadros
Released9 July 2021[1]
Recorded29 June 2017 and 7 May 2021
StudioAvatar Studio, New York and London
Length77:55
LabelJoseph Tawadros
ProducerJoseph Tawadros
Joseph Tawadros chronology
Live at the Sydney Opera House
(2020) 		Hope in an Empty City
(2021)

Hope in an Empty City is a studio album by Australian, multi-instrumentalist and oud virtuoso Joseph Tawadros. The album was self-released in July 2021.

Joseph Tawadros said "Before COVID-19 hit, I ventured into a New York studio with four innovative musicians and we came up with some solid, quite surprising tracks – flavoured with Middle Eastern and jazz elements – and creating a lush, spacious organic sound, quite unlike my previous albums. The album is very eclectic, with fast-paced numbers, blues and jazz grooves, slow and meditative pieces and some of my more contemplative solo oud improvisation. It has been a real journey of emotions and genres as I wrote then played these new pieces with the band and I'm delighted with the result. It's an adventurous recording for me and I hope it will add a little something to the musical landscape."[2]

At the 2021 ARIA Music Awards, the album won the ARIA Award for Best World Music Album.[3]

At the AIR Awards of 2022, the album was nominated for Best Independent Jazz Album or EP.[4]

Track listing

  1. "Smoke and Mirrors" - 5:56
  2. "The Longer Road" - 5:17
  3. "Everything Is You" - 4:43
  4. "Abou Cromb (For John Abercrombie)" - 2:33
  5. "Devil's Advocate" - 4:40
  6. "Tit for Tat" - 1:59
  7. "Von Brandy" - 3:25
  8. "The Light of Your Being" - 4:31
  9. "Your Memory Still Lingers" - 4:08
  10. "An End Without Chance" - 5:36
  11. "The Empty City" - 6:47
  12. "Man Plans, God Laughs" - 4:47
  13. "Happier Times" - 5:55
  14. "My Wish for You" - 5:19
  15. "Dance of the Quarter Tones" - 3:59
  16. "Heart to Heart" - 3:59
  17. "Ya Lel (At Night)" - 4:21
  • All words and music composed by Joseph Tawadros.

Personnel

  • Joseph Tawadros (Oud)
  • Layth Sidiq (Violin)
  • Scott Colley (Double Bass)
  • Dan Weiss (Drums)
  • David "Fuze" Fiuczynski (Guitar)

References

  1. ^ "Hope in an Empty City". Apple Music. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  2. ^ "Hope in an Empty City". Joseph Tawadros. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  3. ^ ARIA Award previous winners. "ARIA Awards – Winners by Award – Best World Music Album". Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  4. ^ "Nominees Announced For AIR Independent Music Awards 2022". musicfeeds. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 1 June 2022.