Samir, Wissam and Adnan, the three Joubran brothers, are among the most inventive musicians in the Arab world. They are Palestinians, and each of them plays the oud in a style that brings a new dimension to the traditional Arabic lute, thanks to the almost intuitive way they work together, and the emotional range of their improvisations. They are compelling when they play live, and it's time they recorded an album that will bring them a wider following beyond the Arabic world. This is their first international release but is not what was needed, simply because many of the tracks will only appeal to Arabic speakers. In recent years, the Trio collaborated with the Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, who died last year, and this tribute album is dominated by the powerful voice of Darwish, reading his poetry in Arabic. There are passages where the ouds provide thoughtful and sensitive backing, and interspersed with this are the instrumental tracks. Here, the Trio show off their fine playing, switching from brooding, moody passages to the widescreen exuberance in Saraab. An impressive taster, but it's not enough.