In Concert in Paris, Vol. 2

AMG Review of In Concert in Paris, Vol. 2

Adam Greenberg
All Music Guide

At the height of his success in 1987, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan recorded a pair of live albums in Paris by way of Ocora which have come to be some of the best examples of his singing from a very large discography. This is the second album of that live pair, and displays exactly why Nusrat became a major world star for his abilities. Here, he works his way through a poem from Rumi, a funeral oration for the grandson of Muhammad, and three lighter ghazals, love songs directed toward family and lovers with a double meaning toward mystic love. Nusrat is at the peak of his vocal power here, shouting over the top of the full chorus when necessary, and delicately weaving lines of subtle variations around a note when desired. His warbles, his sustained notes, and his phrasings are all exceptional, making this not just one of the best Nusrat albums available, but arguably one of the best world music/raditional music albums available, period.