1001 Nights Orchestra is Austin's longest running Middle Eastern ensemble. The group was founded by Kamran Hooshmand in the early nineties to present Austinites with music and cultures of the Middle East. The group's repertoire includes songs from a vast area from Southwest Asia and the Caucuses to the shores of the Mediterranean and the Balkans. Each of the core band members bring years of experience and specialty in the music of these regions. This album features:Anne Alexander: davul/tapan/dohol (folk bass drum), zils (finger cymbals), dumbek/darabukkah (ceramic drum), daff (frame drum), and other percussionKamran Hooshmand (director): vocals, oud/barbat (short-necked lute), guitar, santur (hammered dulcimer), saz/baglame (long-necked lute), rebab/robab (Afghan lute)Ken Maranian: clarinetLisa Beth Schneider: violinEric Vormelker: bassDon Weeda: keyboards, accordionand joining us for this special concert:Rabia Ali: vocalsLauren Checchio: tablaFrances Elliott: ney/nay (bamboo/reed flute)Hassan Ramezani: tonbak (Persian wooden drum)Recognitions:Cover photo by Misi TsurikovWhirling Dancer (on the cover photo): Ashi DamvarSound recording and mix engineer: Dan BenkmanAssistant audio technician: Gerry WhiteAudio mastering: Peter JohnsonMany thanks to:Genevieve Kent and the crew at the Dougherty Arts Center and the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department for hosting the eventMisi Tsurikov and the Austin International Folk Dancers for teaching the regional dances to the audienceThis live recording was performed and recorded in the historic Dougherty Arts Center in Austin, Texas on May 23, 2014. The concert was part of City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department's Planet Music Series, a series of performances that brings the best of local Austin's international talent to the Austinites in free, family friendly settings.For this concert, the ensemble arranged their repertoire in two sets. In one set, the group presented what they call a"beats class" whereby they play one song (mostly instrumental) from the Middle East/Balkan region for a selection of musical beat cycle from 2 to 18. The music was coordinated with the participation of Austin International Folk Dancers (AIFD) who taught the dance for each song style to the audience. The collaboration was a great success.The other set of the concert, consists of folk, regional and traditional music from the Caucases, Southwest Asia and the Middle East. The songs in this section have a more melancholy and meditative mood and showcase the musical diversity of the ensemble. The songs in this segment are mostly sung in dialects of Persian where the subject matter is about love and longing.