For the first time in the Kingdom, Jazz music alongside traditional Hijaz music were featured together at a music session organized by the American Consulate in Jeddah. The event fused together both cultures and music as the Chris Byars Quartet performed with the traditional folklore band Abu Siraj at a private residence in Al-Balad district. “Bashir's Dreams” was the initial piece of jazz played by the American band, which the percussionists of the Abu Siraj joined, adding their own music and style to the piece. Chris Byars, saxophonist for the Chris Byars Quartet said they chose the piece because it has many elements found in Arabic music. “Bashir's Dreams was originally composed as a tribute to well-known Muslim Black American Jazz masters who lived in the 50s,” said Byars. “This piece we have played here contains segments of oriental melody which can be found in Arab music. Thus, Abu Siraj band could taste that and joined us in a brilliant impromptu.” Later Abu Siraj took over playing songs from Saudi singers such as Mohammad Abdu. In the middle of the song, John Mosca, the trombone player successfully joined Abu Siraj with a ‘La So La” recurrent melody within the song. Both bands ended with a unique Saudi song flavored with jazzy fusions of saxophone, trombone, and double bass. Ari Roland, the Contra Bassist was impressed as to how passionate Arabic music is as well as the translated lyrics of a song by Talal Maddah. “I think that Saudi people are more romantic than what is expected,” he said. __
