Hope in an Empty City is a studio album by Australian, multi-instrumentalist and oud virtuoso Joseph Tawadros. The album was self-released in July 2021.

Hope in an Empty City
Studio album by Joseph Tawadros
Released	9 July 2021[1]
Recorded	29 June 2017 and 7 May 2021
Studio	Avatar Studio, New York and London
Length	77:55
Label	Joseph Tawadros
Producer	Joseph Tawadros
Joseph Tawadros chronology
Live at the Sydney Opera House (2020) Hope in an Empty City (2021)

Joseph Tawadros said "Before COVID-19 hit, I ventured into a New York studio with four innovative musicians and we came up with some solid, quite surprising tracks – flavoured with Middle Eastern and jazz elements – and creating a lush, spacious organic sound, quite unlike my previous albums. The album is very eclectic, with fast-paced numbers, blues and jazz grooves, slow and meditative pieces and some of my more contemplative solo oud improvisation. It has been a real journey of emotions and genres as I wrote then played these new pieces with the band and I'm delighted with the result. It's an adventurous recording for me and I hope it will add a little something to the musical landscape."[2]

At the 2021 ARIA Music Awards, the album won the ARIA Award for Best World Music Album.[3]

At the AIR Awards of 2022, the album was nominated for Best Independent Jazz Album or EP.[4]

Track listing

1. "Smoke and Mirrors" - 5:56
2. "The Longer Road" - 5:17
3. "Everything Is You" - 4:43
4. "Abou Cromb (For John Abercrombie)" - 2:33
5. "Devil's Advocate" - 4:40
6. "Tit for Tat" - 1:59
7. "Von Brandy" - 3:25
8. "The Light of Your Being" - 4:31
9. "Your Memory Still Lingers" - 4:08
10. "An End Without Chance" - 5:36
11. "The Empty City" - 6:47
12. "Man Plans, God Laughs" - 4:47
13. "Happier Times" - 5:55
14. "My Wish for You" - 5:19
15. "Dance of the Quarter Tones" - 3:59
16. "Heart to Heart" - 3:59
17. "Ya Lel (At Night)" - 4:21

• All words and music composed by Joseph Tawadros.

Personnel

• Joseph Tawadros (Oud)
• Layth Sidiq (Violin)
• Scott Colley (Double Bass)
• Dan Weiss (Drums)
• David "Fuze" Fiuczynski (Guitar)

References