Brian Prunka is normally a jazz guitarist, but a chance encounter with an Egyptian cab driver led him to begin obsessively learning about Arabic music and to learn how to play the oud (a fretless lute indigenous to the region). Eventually he put together a group of jazz and Arabic players and created this program of tunes that blend the two traditions together. The music is fascinating, though most listeners will probably strain to hear the jazz elements in the mix (despite the presence of alto saxophone and trumpet). The playing is excellent throughout.