- original music and arrangements -

Desert Dreams

"What draws us into the desert is the search for something intimate in the remote"
- Edward Abbey

"The desert does not mean the absence of men, it means the presence of God."
- Carlo Carreto

Desert Dreams
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Desert Dreams

Ages ago I had the opportunity to travel from Alexandria Egypt to Cairo and visit the pyramids. The most amazing part of the trip was traveling back to Alexandria by taxi (Arabic: sayarat 'ajruh) at night across the desert. I will never forget stopping at a rest area in the middle of the night in the Sahara. It was otherworldly...

The desert is a stark yet beautiful place. Immense sand dunes constantly shape-shifting, a bright and crystal clear starry sky unmasked by the absence of city lights and an eerie emptiness unlike anything else I have ever experienced.

About the Music
I have been fascinated by Arabic music in the last couple of years and even bought an Arabic Ney. Frustratingly, I have yet to master how to play it but the Ney can sound amazing (Ney - Avi Adir). The Armenian Duduk is another mesmerizing instrument from the Middle East (The Cry of the Armenian Duduk).

This tune uses Darbuka drum loops (courtesy of Looperman.com) and the reed instruments are played on the Roland D-50. It is based on the Bayati in A Maqam and follows the improv traditions of tetrachords (Ajnas). The first section stays in the lower tetrachord and when the groove changes, the upper tetrachord is used, There is a recapitulation on the opening motif from the lower tetrachord.

Learn more about Arabic Music here »

Edward Abbey
Edward Abbey
Edward Abbey

Edward Paul Abbey (1927 - 1989) was an American author and essayist noted for his advocacy of environmental issues and criticism of public land policies. His best-known works include the novel The Monkey Wrench Gang, which has been cited as an inspiration by environmental and eco-terrorist groups, and the non-fiction work Desert Solitaire.
Edward Abbey