The Tariqu Ensemble is a trio that is focused on fusing Middle Eastern music and jazz both with traditional Middle Eastern material and original compositions by the ensemble. Given my Egyptian-American heritage, this group has been particularly fun to cultivate and is made up of percussionist Jon Seligman and pianist Harry Appelman who are also both jazz musicians that share this passion to incorporate Middle Eastern music. We've all individually traveled to the Middle East and have explored how the music can be integrated with our backgrounds as jazz musicians.

This group began in 2009 but in many ways is still still in it's early stages as we hope to build on our early efforts and travel not just in the US but also with some touring of the Middle East.
  • Tunza Hunza
    This is an original compositions by the ensemble's percussionist Jon Seligman and features his percussion work on a traditional Middle Eastern frame drum. There are both bass clarinet and piano solos after the melody before a return to the original melody.
  • Darij
    This is a traditional Egyptian song called Darij which like many Middle Eastern compositions features an extended melody with unison playing by the instruments and open soloing forms. After solos however, the melody is restating with a reharmonization that uses modern jazz chords. Throughout, the rhythm is played on a traditional Egyptian style frame drum called a Riq which closely resembles the construction of a tamborine.
  • Korce
    This is an original composition by the ensemble's pianist Harry Appelman that shows more of the jazz side than Middle Eastern side of the music presented by the ensemble. But it is a good example of the ensemble's range and how well the music works even without the presence of a bass player which is the traditional anchor for jazz ensembles.
  • Wahsouli
    Wahsouli (which means "my arrival" in Arabic) is an example of one of my more recent fusions of jazz and Middle Eastern music described in the project description for my Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra. It begins with a slow unison theme and then switches to uptempo. This piece also features one of my bass clarinet solos which demonstrate my ability to improvise on the instrument at fast tempos which are rarely done on bass clarinet. This is reflective of my efforts to establish the bass clarinet as a legitimate lead horn in modern jazz deserving of equal consideration with more traditional jazz horns like the saxophone and trumpet. The piece also features an improvisation by pianist Harry Appelman. A version of this composition is also featured above as I arranged it for my Todd Marcus Jazz Orchestra.
  • Screed II/Iptidan Ilahi
    This is a medley of orginal compositions by the ensemble's percussionist Jon Seligman. It begins with a selection called The Screed which features Seligman's solo on the Riq (an Egyptian frame drum that resembles a tamborine) before a unison Middle Eastern melody enters that constantly shifts meter/time. There is an open bass clarinet solo after the melody that then gives way to the second composition called Iptidan Ilahi and features a piano solo by Harry Appelman.
  • Kahramana
    This is a traditional Palestinian song called Kahramana which like many Middle Eastern compositions features an extended melody with unison playing by the instruments and open soloing forms. The rhythm is played on a traditional Egyptian style frame drum called a Riq which closely resembles the construction of a tamborine.
  • tariq-ensemble.jpg
    tariq-ensemble.jpg