Although he’s known as “Lebanon’s Bob Dylan,” Khalife is more than a singer-songwriter – he’s also a virtuoso on the ‘ud, one who moves the instrument into jazz and other styles, as he shows on this instrumental outing. Working with his longtime quartet Al Mayadine, which includes two of his sons, Khalife is as much at home on the Andalusian-influenced “Samai Bayati” as on the shape-shifting “Al Hambra.” In Khalife’s hands, these fusions are supple and fluent, breaking musical rules with easy grace and delightful results. The music is indeed a caress, showing that Khalife is a visionary on the instrument.

-Chris Nickson