| Blue Mongol | |
| Type: | album |
| Artist: | Roswell Rudd and The Mongolian Buryat Band |
| Cover: | Roswell_Rudd_Blue_Mongol.jpg |
| Released: | 2005 |
| Recorded: | October 11, 2005 |
| Studio: | Nevessa Production, Saugerties, New York |
| Genre: | Jazz, World music |
| Length: | 1:04:44 |
| Label: | Sunnyside SSC1147 |
| Producer: | Roswell Rudd, Verna Gillis |
| Chronology: | Roswell Rudd |
| Prev Title: | Malicool |
| Prev Year: | 2002 |
| Next Title: | Airwalkers |
| Next Year: | 2006 |
Blue Mongol is an album by trombonist Roswell Rudd and the Mongolian Buryat Band, a five-member ensemble led by Mongolian vocalist Badma Khanda, featuring horse-head fiddle and bass, instruments resembling zither, dulcimer, and flute, and a throat singer. It was recorded in 2005 at Nevessa Production in Saugerties, New York, and was released by Sunnyside Records later that year. The album is a continuation of the cross-cultural experiments that Rudd began pursuing with 2002's Malicool.[1] [2] [3]
Rudd and the Mongolian Buryat Band toured the United States in late 2006. He reflected: "Listeners will be reminded of American folk music and aspects of the blues... I call their music 'art folk' because it combines the sophistication of conservatory training with the indigenous performance style of their long history."[4]
In a review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek wrote: "Wow! Simply put, this recording is almost indescribable... There isn't another recording like this on the planet; it's stunning."
The Village Voices Francis Davis stated: "Twinning with Khanda, matching the throat singer's gargle with growled multiphonics, or just floating over the strings, Rudd throws himself into everything with such relish you might be hard-pressed to tell which tunes are traditional and which are his without glancing at the credits. The Buryats meet him halfway, occasionally recalling Django or country swing, even boogie-woogie... East is East, and West is West, and wherever the four winds blow—that's not just a quote, it's his philosophy."[5]
Writing for All About Jazz, John Kelman remarked: "Blue Mongol, with its greater elegance and emotional depth, requires more inherent sensitivity than the upbeat MALIcool, making it a riskier proposition. And while it has a few disconnected moments, it succeeds more often than not, making it a worthwhile listen for those who believe music to be the voice that speaks to all cultures."
Tom Hull commented: "The great jazz trombonist engages a conservatory-trained Mongolian folk group; part of the interest is the similar harmonics between trombone and throat singing, but the highlight is when Rudd cops a Beach Boys line for 'Buryat Boogie'."[6]