Recorded in 2007, Writings on the Wall hasn't been sealed hermetically in the vaults for the past five years but appears to have enjoyed some currency since at least 2009. Happily, guitarist Michel Sajrawy has been hard at work in the meantime too. But anyway, back to the album – Sajrawy, a Palestinian of Christian faith who holds an Israeli passport, is a musical fusionist for whom, the press release points out, overcoming contradictions is a key element. Recently he's coined the term ‘Arabop’ for music that combines bebop lines with Arabic elements, which explains the essential context for this collection of diverting Occident/Orient-melding performances. The likes of ‘Bride of the Galilee’ and ‘Pink Inside’ dig deep into Middle Eastern tradition, while ‘Ya Salam’ is a funky groove, ‘Green’ is basically jazz-rock fusion and ‘Ta Ti Ta Ta’ provides Sajrawy and pianist Franck Dhersin with an opportunity for a fine display of quick–fingered virtuosity in a more straightforwardly post–bop vein.