Of all the crossover projects Tunisian oud virtuoso Anouar Brahem has gifted the world via ECM, Blue Maqams is the most dreamlike and vibrant. Sharing breathing room once again with bassist Dave Holland (don’t pass up their collaboration with John Surman on 1998’s Thimar) and, for the first time, drummer Jack DeJohnette and pianist Django Bates, he embodies patience in every careful composition the quartet interprets. The album’s title track is special for its evocativeness and, like the rest of the album, points to the strengths of Brahem’s bandmates, each of whom shimmers in their own way.