Shahzad Ali Ismaily
Visitations
London-based guitarist and producer Leo Abrahams and NYC master musician (and boss of figureight records) Shahzad Ismaily unite for a unique imagining of guitar music on Visitations. The work of two highly skilled, highly celebrated musicians, Visitations marks a curious, mysterious, uncanny collection of music, offering a take on guitar playing that snakes and collides with unexpected turns. It encourages - requires even - a deep listening experience, every discordance balanced with harmony, ev…
Sea Legs / Hum Back
**300 copies** Belgian label Aspes Edities brings us an interesting split album by American multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ali Ismaily - who has played for Tom Waits, Ceramic Dog and Laurie Anderson - and Belgian euphonium player and improviser Niels Van Heertum, who is having his second release on the label. The deep blue is the common denominator on this LP. On the first side - entitled Sea Legs - Ismaily offers one long and sparse composition that prominently features guitar and banjo, but als…