Spellbound (Ahmed Abdul-Malik album)

Spellbound is the sixth and final album by double bassist Ahmed Abdul-Malik featuring performances recorded in 1964 and originally released on the Status label.

Reception

Thom Jurek of Allmusic says, "Spellbound isn't as groundbreaking as some of Abdul-Malik's earlier work, but it doesn't need to be: by this point, he had successfully melded jazz with Middle Eastern sounds into a seamless – if somewhat exotically textural – whole. The band fires on all cylinders under his inspired direction, making this a fitting sendoff to him as a bandleader. Musically, he saved one of his best for last.".

Track listing

1. "Spellbound" (Miklós Rózsa) – 4:57
2. "Never On Sunday" (Manos Hatzidakis) – 5:13
3. "Body and Soul" (Johnny Green, Edward Heyman, Robert Sour, Frank Eyton) – 7:14
4. "Song of Delilah" (Victor Young, Ray Evans) – 7:02
5. "Cinema Blues" (Ahmed Abdul-Malik) – 8:15

Personnel

• Ahmed Abdul-Malik – bass
• Ray Nance – cornet, violin
• Seldon Powell – tenor saxophone, flute
• Paul Neves – piano
• Hamza Aldeen – oud
• Walter Perkins – drums

References