Dhafer Youssef (oud) with Tigran Hamasyan (piano), Chris Jennings (double bass) and the uncanny Mark Guiliana (drums) playing Les Ombres Orientales, one of the many excellent tracks of Dhafer’s last album to date, Abu Nawas Rhapsody.

You can listen to the album version on Grooveshark.

Dhafer Youssef is one my two favorite oud players, the other being his tunisian compatriot Anouar Brahem.

Back in 2007, speaking about Byzance, another fantastic track on which Dhafer sides with guitarist Nguyên Lê and trumpeter Paolo Fresu I wrote: Featuring two of my favorite artists, Guitar player Nguyên Lê and Oud player Dhafer Youssef, it has something very special that I can’t define clearly in words, that “transcends” Music and gives me a ruch of amazing and very enjoyable emotions with its oriental, almost hypnotic, tone.

Enough words. I will let the Music speaks for itself.