Olive Harvest - Simon Shaheen

Olives, market in Sofia, Bulgaria, 1996.

Olive Harvest by Simon Shaheen.

So, this track isn't exactly obscure. Shaheen, a Palestinian born in Galilee, has taught music at the Academy of Music in Jerusalem, the Manhattan School of Music, and Columbia University, and was the recipient of the National Heritage Award in 1994. He also rescues Bang On A Can from ridiculous abstruseness for Mayur every year! But, it is certainly a model of the successful evolution of classical musical modes, as much as the Srinivas piece.

Shaheen plays both oud and violin on this track; as with Paul McCartney on his latest album, the "One mind, many instruments" style makes one have to wonder how he can duplicate this sort of performance live with another musician filling one of those roles.