By FNC Producer Ghaleb Tawfiq

Almost 50 years ago, the legendary Duke Ellington performed in Baghdad and played his famous composition “Take the A Train”.

Last weekend, Alvin Atkinson and the Sound Merchants played the same composition to the delight of almost 400, mostly Iraqis, at the al Rasheed Hotel, in Baghdad. We didn’t want to miss the chance so we joined the crowd.

Invited by the US embassy, the NY Jazz Quartet were on a one week tour to entertain Iraqis, meeting with musicians and students in a gesture to strengthen cultural relations between the two nations. The crowd responded to the fine tunes with repeated applause

The show started with Iraqi & Arabic traditional music performed by Dejlah Oriental Band, an Iraqi Quartet, and then the American band took the stage and played a number of compositions, for more than an hour, including the “A Train”.

Alvin told us that he has heard about the history and heritage of Iraq’s music which he admires alot and he wanted to share American traditional music with his Iraqi counterparts, he thanked all Iraqis for accepting him and his Band hoping to return for a longer visit.

Listen to their tunes:

done

Cameraman & editor:

Tom Streithorst