The first half of this duo plays the theorbo, an impressive kind of lute which comes from Renaissance Italy, featuring six to eight strings that are played, while six others resound harmoniously by means of vibration. The other simply plays a double bass, but his inventive and virtuose technique is still just as renowned. Throughout his own projects or his collaborative efforts with Dhafer Youssef, Angélique Ionatos and even Paul Simon, Renaud Garcia-Fons has proved that this giant of both jazz and classical orchestras can do grand things for pushing the limits of the imagination. The delicate dialogue between the two virtuosos goes back in time (and even takes steps to deconstruct it), highlighting the poetic bridges between Oriental and Western sounds. Farangi is made up of original compositions which call upon the cultural splendours of Persia (Légende persane, Le Sommeil de Manjûn, Sahneh Mountains) and mystical Ottoman whispers (Comme un derviche amoureux, Nove Alla Turca, Tocsin de Palmyre). It breathes new life into the golden age of the Andaluz (Toledo del Greco) and ties together the refinement of baroque music to the freedom of jazz. Full of knowledge but ultimately incredibly transparent, Farangi (“stranger” in Persian) is not to be feared: it provides invaluable riches. © Benjamin MiNiMuM/Qobuz