Jan Garbarek's new double album is an impressive major work, aptly titled "Rites." The name alludes to initiations and rituals, as well as the archaic and magical, while also evoking the idea of rites of passage. In his selection of compositions, the Norwegian saxophonist interweaves formative experiences and influences from his own career and the lives of his musical collaborators. The album includes a tribute to Don Cherry, as well as reinterpretations of well-known Garbarek works such as "Es ist in Ordnung, der grauen Stimme zuzuhören" (It's All Right to Listen to the Gray Voice) and "So sanft der Wind, so sanft das Wasser" (So Gentle the Wind, So Gentle the Water). Furthermore, numerous allusions to diverse musical traditions from around the world—from Norwegian to Indian influences—can be found. Also noteworthy is the musical setting of a Native American poem for voices and saxophone, and the surprising inclusion of Jansug Kakhidze's "Der Mond über Mtatsminda" (The Moon Over Mtatsminda), sung by the composer himself and accompanied by the Tbilisi Symphony Orchestra. Overall, this is Garbarek's most versatile production to date, and his nuanced saxophone playing is more convincing than ever before.
