Aram Bajakian's Kef Explained

Aram Bajakian's Kef
Type:	studio
Artist:	Aram Bajakian
Border:	yes
Recorded:	November 2010
Studio:	The Bunker, Brooklyn, NY
Label:	Tzadik
Next Title:	There Were Flowers Also in Hell
Next Year:	2014

Aram Bajakian's Kef is the debut album by guitarist Aram Bajakian.^[1]

Reception

All About Jazz reviewer Chris May said, "With Kef, Bajakian is exploring his Armenian musical heritage through its US offshoot, kef—a style developed by the Armenian Diaspora ...The dozen tunes are either written by Bajakian or arranged by him from traditional material. It is an exciting mélange, which preserves kef's roots in providing music for dance, and broadens its stylistic parameters".^[2]

The PopMatters review by Sean Murphy observed "The absence of drums is novel and audacious, but considering how much some of this material shreds, it is almost revelatory ... There are no unsatisfactory tracks to be found here, and while some may dazzle or impress more than others ... suffice to say Kef is as extraordinary an album as I can recall listening to in a very long time".^[3]

Track listing

All compositions by Aram Bajakian except where noted

1. "Pear Tree" – 2:36
2. "Sepastia" – 3:23
3. "Laz Bar" (Traditional) – 4:27
4. "Sumlinian" – 5:17
5. "Wroclaw" – 4:45
6. "Karasalama" (Traditional) – 5:16
7. "Hayastan" – 5:02
8. "Raki" – 3:15
9. "Pineta" – 2:30
10. "Shish" – 2:09
11. "48 Days" – 2:28
12. "La Rota" – 5:40

Personnel

• Aram Bajakian – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
• Tom Swafford – violin
• Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz - acoustic bass

Notes and References

1. http://www.tzadik.com/index.php?catalog=7803 Tzadik Catalogue: Aram Bajakian's Kef
2. Web site: Aram Bajakian: Aram Bajakian's Kef: New Sounds From The Armenian Diaspora . Musical reviews . Chris. May. . June 11, 2018 .
3. Murphy, S. PopMatters Review accessed June 11, 2018