Subtitled The Songs of Sheikh Sayyed Darweesh, CCOE tackles one of Egypt's most prolific composers on a disc that includes all the passion and none of the musical academia attached to many reinterpretations. Perhaps this rebellion from stringency was encoded in Darweesh’s very being, resulting in such resplendent songs. While only composing for seven years (dying of a drug overdose at 31), he produced hundreds of songs, including, among many important works, Egypt's national anthem.

That's no small feat for a young man supporting his family as a bricklayer and furniture store clerk. What's constantly reiterated, however, is Darweesh’s abundant sense of humor. To be exceptional in any artistic endeavor requires a certain lightness of heart and being, and these 10 excellent translations are proof of the visionary composer’s confidence. Reared to recite Muslim prayer, Darweesh was to go on to forge his own spiritual path through music, fusing the Middle Eastern and Eastern modalities inherent in Egyptian classical sounds and injecting Western influence. In fact, he was in Italy studying Verdi’s opera during the time of his passing.