Songs from a Persian Garden

Album Review

This (mostly) live album from a pair of Iranian sisters is an absolute melodic feast. Sampling the range of music — from the classical modes of "Saghi Nameh" to the opening lush Kurdish theme of "Mina" — is a joy, and nowhere more than on "Dorna," where their voices shine, largely unaccompanied, on a more contemporary piece that manages to sound timeless. There are some fascinating little diversions, as when the lullaby "Gole Laleh" morphs into the spiritual "She's Got the Whole World in Her Hands" (note the gender change!) sung softly by guitarist Knut Reiersrud, who also brings a lot to this CD instrumentally. Apart from the lovingly sinuous voices, what impresses most is the rich, loving variety of sensual and exotic melodies filling the disc. It's close to a sensory overload — but stops short, just at the perfect point.