For those unaware, composer and conductor Serge Koussevitzky famously asserted that “musicians are always the best ambassadors.” Perhaps no better proof of his claim can be found than the singular Indonesian instrumentalist and composer Dwiki Dharmawan, both literally - this album was partly supported by the Indonesian Embassy in Athens, Greece - and in his role as an exemplary envoy for his people’s profoundly rich musical inheritance abroad.

Anagnorisis, the latest in Dharmawan’s series of widely varied and impeccably crafted albums for MoonJune Records, might well be the most fully realized expression yet of his expansive musical vision.

While deeply grounded in the sophisticated melodic and rhythmic intricacies of his native archipelago, where he’s long been celebrated for his work bridging serious and popular realms, Dharmawan also looks beyond those traditions for inspiration, joining with players from disparate cultures to blend the best of their respective worlds into a meta-music of depth, beauty, and vitality that transcends mere collage.

1. Gambang Ney [12:37]
2. Ya Kita Bisa [05:21]
3. Pacu Javi [05:59]
4. Perjuangan [06:26]
5. Kereta Keren [03:36]
6. Jazz For Freeport [05:50]
7. Timun Mas [07:16]
8. Lima Dadakan [07:05]
9. Toledo Trane [06:42]
10. Anagnorisis [08:32]

With all the musical proceedings captured as a mix that’s both enveloping in its warmth and of sparkling clarity, the new recording opens on the flourishingly expansive 12 minute Gambang Ney and then we get the industrially-crafted Ya Kita Bisa, the rhythmically smooth Pacu Javi, the jagged Perjuangan and then the melodious Kereta Keren is brought forth.

Along next is the hauntingly ethereal Jazz For Freeport which is in turn backed seamlessly by the impassioned Timun Mas, the all-embracing Lima Dadakan, the set rounding out on the frenetically charged wonderment of Toledo Trane, coming to a close on the laid low, pulsative and yet still emboldened title track.

At a time when the very ideal of a mutually supportive, multicultural global society is under attack by forces of narrow nationalism and intolerance, such brave and unapologetic statements of shared humanity as Anagnorisis are more vital than ever to our species’ well-being. May such musical ambassadors as Dwiki Dharmawan and his fellow travelers long continue to blaze us a trail forward.

Musicians:
Dwiki Dharmawan - piano
Gilad Atzmon - clarinet, sax
Kimon Karoutzos - upright bass
Harris Lambrakis - ney flute
Vironas Ntolas - electric guitar
Nikos Sidirokastritis - drums

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