Blue Mongol


Blue Mongol is an album by trombonist Roswell Rudd and the Mongolian Buryat Band, a five-member ensemble led by Mongolian vocalist Badma Khanda, featuring horse-head fiddle and bass, instruments resembling zither, dulcimer, and flute, and a throat singer. It was recorded in 2005 at Nevessa Production in Saugerties, New York, and was released by Sunnyside Records later that year. The album is a continuation of the cross-cultural experiments that Rudd began pursuing with 2002's Malicool.
Rudd and the Mongolian Buryat Band toured the United States in late 2006. He reflected: "Listeners will be reminded of American folk music and aspects of the blues... I call their music 'art folk' because it combines the sophistication of conservatory training with the indigenous performance style of their long history."

Reception

In a review for AllMusic, Thom Jurek wrote: "Wow! Simply put, this recording is almost indescribable... There isn't another recording like this on the planet; it's stunning."
The Village Voice's Francis Davis stated: "Twinning with Khanda, matching the throat singer's gargle with growled multiphonics, or just floating over the strings, Rudd throws himself into everything with such relish you might be hard-pressed to tell which tunes are traditional and which are his without glancing at the credits. The Buryats meet him halfway, occasionally recalling Django or country swing, even boogie-woogie... East is East, and West is West, and wherever the four winds blow—that's not just a quote, it's his philosophy."
Writing for All About Jazz, John Kelman remarked: "Blue Mongol, with its greater elegance and emotional depth, requires more inherent sensitivity than the upbeat MALIcool, making it a riskier proposition. And while it has a few disconnected moments, it succeeds more often than not, making it a worthwhile listen for those who believe music to be the voice that speaks to all cultures."
Tom Hull commented: "The great jazz trombonist engages a conservatory-trained Mongolian folk group; part of the interest is the similar harmonics between trombone and throat singing, but the highlight is when Rudd cops a Beach Boys line for 'Buryat Boogie'."

Track listing

  1. "The Camel" – 4:21
  2. "Gathering Light" – 5:27
  3. "Behind the Mountains" – 2:56
  4. "Steppes Song" – 4:04
  5. "Djoloren" – 8:38
  6. "Four Mountains" – 5:35
  7. "Buryat Boogie" – 5:38
  8. "Blue Mongol" – 5:19
  9. "Bridle Ringing" – 2:41
  10. "Ulirenge" – 4:59
  11. "American Round " – 3:15
  12. "The Leopard" – 5:02
  13. "Honey on the Moon" – 6:49

Personnel

  • Roswell Rudd – trombone, mellophone, vocals
  • Battuvshin Baldantseren – throat singer, limbe, ikh khur, khomus
  • Badma Khanda – vocals
  • Dmitry Ayurov – morin khur
  • Kermen Kalyaeva – lochin, khalmyk dombra
  • Valentina Namdykova – yatag