^ Click to Purchase ^

Hours of traveling and interchanging locale generated “Foreign Mansions”, a brew of overlapping border-crossing melodies concocted in Brooklyn, Harlem, Beirut and Akar. The sound spawned is indie rock hijacked by Middle Eastern percussion on it’s way to an electric Haiti.

“Foreign Mansions” is out now. Listen here ===> (Akherta, Long Distance)

Music by Cedar & Soil

Additional Musicians: Paul Martinez_Percussion (2,5,6), Sonia Caballero_Flute/Piccolo (2,6), Daniel Fedele_Piano (9), Jamil Anz_Additional Guitars (5,6), Jack Chekijian_Additional Guitars (5,9), John Nasr_Additional Bass (2), Karim Chalak_Piano (1)

Artwork by Omar Khouri

It brings us great pleasure to announce the release of Tarwiij’s debut E.P., adequately named Tarwiij. We have been enjoying this record immensely as fans of the band and are excited to be releasing their music on Cedar Records.

Tarwiij’s music can now be purchased from all major digital music stores (iTunes, Amazon … etc.). Enjoy!

^ Click to Purchase ^

Tarwiij was formed in early 2008 when Muhammad and Jamil, old friends and next door neighbors who enjoyed similar taste in music, would get together in Jamil’s basement to jam to Muhammad’s tunes. Joined by a close friend, Eyad, the three started jamming with acoustic guitars and “experimental tune humming” to reach the most melodic deliveries for each instrument. Through word of mouth the bands reputation grew and so did attendance in Jamil’s basement. Friends and friend’s of friends with tag alongs would line up to catch the band practice for their weekly dose of rock, hence the band’s name – Tarwiij il Rock min Amman (Popularization of Rock music from Amman) – “Tarwiij” for short.

As their popularity grew, they managed to book their first gig for a major music festival solely on street cred. With the timely return of a good friend and experienced drummer, Tareq, the band’s lineup was complete as he provided the missing ingredient. The show was a big success, an eye opener for the Jordanian public with a new genre of Arabic music that was louder than anything they had heard, yet rooted in traditional music. As fans grew so did demand for their music, so the band set up an ad hoc recording studio at a friend’s attic apartment and recorded a live E.P. in one day. The product of that impromptu was “The Shepherd” a 4 song E.P. that finds the band conversing through their instruments in perfect harmony.

To ask Tarwiij about their musical influences is a lost cause, as they credit their beautiful city of Amman as being the single most important influence on their sound, and this is evident without delay … no pun intended. From the ghostly landscapes of downtown Amman and the infectious energy in its streets to the unstable situation in the Middle East, Tarwiij manages to channel its environment through songs.

Thankful for their country’s stability in relation to its turbulent surroundings, the band promotes peace and unity in the Middle East by shedding light on the region’s predicament through poignant lyrics and unanticipated switches between calm and thunder.

A symbol of the booming independent music scene in Jordan, Tarwiij claims the rock throne in Amman and has coined the phrase “Rock Ammany” to identify their distinctive sound.

Tarwiij is:

• Muhammad Abdullah: lead vocals / bass guitar
• Eyad Hamam: acoustic guitar / back vocals.
• Jamil Anz: electric guitar / back vocals.
• Tareq Abu Kwaik: drums / percussion / back vocals

** Special thanks to Omar Khouri for the brilliant album cover.

From the multifaceted city of Amman, Jordan arrives the music of Tarwiij, an Arabic rock band whose sound resides in a world where east and west live in harmony. Tarwiij dissolves heart felt lyrics, oriental scales and soulful Arabic singing backed by guitar riffs reminiscent of Grunge in its glory days for a sound they like to call “Rock Ammany”. The interaction between the band’s commanding melodies and Mohammad’s unique vocal styling can only be compared to the relative calm before an inevitable storm, and as their music peaks, seek Shelter!

* Album Release – August 24 *

Tarwiij is:

Muhammad Abdullah: lead vocals / bass guitar

Eyad Hamam: acoustic guitar / back vocals.

Jamil Anz: electric guitar / back vocals.

Tareq Abu Kwaik: drums / percussion / back vocals

This month marks the 5th Anniversary of our inception and we are celebrating with a revamped website that makes it easier for our listeners to share music and news via social networking sites like Facebook, MySpace and Twitter.

We are truly thrilled to announce the upcoming November release of Cedar & Soil’s sophomore LP – Vodou Dabke’. As the album title insinuates; this follow-up to “Radio Beast” finds the band fusing Arabic rhythms and vocals with vibrant Haitian percussion for a truly unique and dynamic listening experience.

Subscribe to our Newsletter and join our social networking community to get the latest updates and hear about new additions to our growing roster.

Enjoy!!

^ Click to Purchase ^

Cedar & Soil consists of multi-instrumentalist and producer George Abi-Hanna and likeminded musicians.

George was born in Lebanon during the civil war (1980), causing him and his family to migrate to Gambia, West Africa where his grandparents lived. He discovered music through his parent’s record collection; listening to everything from The Beatles and Pink Floyd to Fairuz.

Cedar & Soil was created in 2005 with George writing the music and playing most instruments on the first release “Radio Beast.” The music is recorded on portable equipment traveling between different locations to meet with musicians.

By 2011, hours of traveling and interchanging locale generated “Foreign Mansions,” a brew of overlapping border-crossing melodies recorded in Brooklyn, Harlem, Beirut and Akkar. The indie rock inspired style incorporates English and Arabic lyrics backed by Middle Eastern and Haitian percussion.

Other Releases:

Radio Beast

^ Click to Purchase ^

This singer/songwriter has all the makings of a true Star. Christian’s evolution into an overwhelming vocalist and guitarist has gained him a loyal grassroots fan base. Inspired by the effortless crooning of the late great Jeff Buckley and the smooth guitar talents of James Taylor, Christian has developed his own refreshing and unique sound. His vocal range, heart felt lyrics and hard-driven melodies are a fierce combination at live performances. Christian’s strong stage presence and natural charisma have awed and captivated crowds at CBGB’s, Sin’e and The Stone Pony.

^ Click to Purchase ^

Yeti consists of Omar Khouri, Russell Lichter and Rob LaMorgese. Rob and Russ met at college in Boston in the late nineties. Rob and Russ met Omar in Los Angeles after the turn of the century.

The three hit it off nicely and decided to try jamming together. While their styles were a bit different, they seemed to mesh well. Most of the music was recorded at Omar’s apartment in summer. It was during the recording sessions that their mutual love of verses was discovered. Screw choruses. They’re cheap and tawdry.

Omar and Russ wrote the majority of the music, but Rob kicked in a bit here or there. I think there was even a whole bass line he wrote. It was so good, he couldn’t play it. Omar did. Or Russ. He can’t remember.

Omar and Rob did the singing. They usually wrote the lyrics they sang, but occasionally backed the other one. This worked out well for them as they have lovely singing voices.

Yeti is a blast. Yeti is sexy. Yeti loves you. And yes…Yeti will respect you in the morning.

So please enjoy the music. They most certainly enjoyed making it for you.

^ Click to Purchase ^

Blowout is a musical collective concentrating on composition, improvisation, and communication in a jazz setting.

The Band:

Zack Pitt-Smith, reeds and flute | Zack’s Bio »

Aaron Germain, bass | Aaron’s Bio »

Brian Moran, guitar | Brian’s Bio »

Jason Levis, drums | Jason’s Bio »

Aaron Bennett, reeds | Aaron B’s Bio »

Alumni:
Rob Ewing, (trombone)
Joe Chellman (drums)
Noah Enelow (saxophone)

Reviews & Press

“Blowout plays a rousing, raucous brand of post-Bop music, combining the arranging sensibilities and layered tempos of vintage Mingus with a quirky structuralist sensibility that recalls Phillip Johnston, and some occasional rock. I love the horn polyphony! Many of the tunes feature a kind of continual weave between Ewing’s excellently portly trombone (check him out on “Solid Brass Numchuk”) and the sinewy saxophones (listen to Bennett punish his bari on “Duplicity”), with Moran the comper/mischief-maker sprinting ahead of Germain and Lewis. Make no mistake, this is Jazz, not Jazz-Rock. Moran is an extremely tasteful electric player, who simply knows how to use the textures (and the history) of his instrument (including that extra low string for some serious rumble). He also displays a nimble swinging technique on his own “Ring around the Collar”. But for all the tightly woven charts and nimble swing, the group sure does have range: check out the eeire atmospherics on “Tin Foil Is Not Soft”, the heavy funking on “Nothing But Trouble”, the sludgy menace of “Deuguelasse”, or the noir-ish “Baby Be Mine”. All in all, this is a nice surprising disc: a band with real personality, playing music with warmth and heart and – what’s so rare these days- humor!” — Cadence Magazine

“All of the musicians… distinguish themselves not so much for what they contribute as what they leave out, restraining from making the pointless squeal or pseudo-virtuosic wail that characterizes so many first offerings in the modern-jazz world. …If this young band keeps going, the blowing is only going to get more ‘out’ — in the most complimentary sense of the word.” — SF Weekly

“Some music is so hip, you know, upon first hearing, there is no way it will ever find a large drawing. Like fine wine made in small reserves, it is to be savored when experienced. This is as candid a statement as can be made regarding the excellent compositional abilities found within the six-member band Blowout.
The compositions are all clever and sharp, witty and urbane, but most especially fun. All of the compositions emphasize a true collective sound with no one instrumental texture predominating.
The music on The Supporting Theory isn’t what you might expect, and that’s due to the way Moran handles his instrument. For the most part he plays single note lines which allow the music to have an airy space and freedom lacking in most jazz – think Kenny Wheeler’s Angel Song ensemble.” — Jazz Review.com

“Their music is very much a modern day jazz fusion which has taken influences from World, Contemporary, Middle Eastern and Avant Guard to offer a blend of excitement and expression which is what jazz is all about.
This is music to wake up and listen to, and an album full of energy, musicianship and composition and an album which has superb arrangements and will appeal to the jazz fan who wants a menu of steak and chips as opposed to a watered down consumme soup.” — EuroClubDeJazz.com