DUBAI, United Arab Emirates--The release of a new Osama bin Laden tape obtained by Al Jazeera has caused a stir in both the military and jazz communities, as his normally fiery rhetoric was nowhere to be found, replaced instead by bin Laden’s deep, soulful voice singing such classic jazz tunes as “Pennies from Heaven” and “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”
The recordings, though suffering from poor production, showcase a real talent in the terrorist, as he sings a broad range of classic jazz pieces, backed only by subtle arrangements on piano, bass, and drums. “It’s obvious that he doesn’t have access to top notch recording equipment or musicians, but if he’s given an opportunity with a major jazz label, he can really make waves in the jazz community,” says singer Andy Williams, to whom bin Laden’s calm, gentle vocal style has been most commonly compared to. “The kid’s got talent, there’s no denying that.”
“Without a doubt, the tape has its rough spots,” concedes music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine. “But I can honestly say that, rough spots and all, bin Laden gives one of the finest performances of ‘I Get a Kick Out of You’ that I’ve ever heard.”
It is unknown when the tape was made, although experts believe that the sparse production suggests the tape was made after the United States began its offensive on Al Qaeda after Sept. 11. The tape was delivered to Al Jazeera on Monday. After authenticating the tape, they played it Thursday, despite the concerns of US officials.
“Whenever Al Jazeera gets a tape like this, we try to dissuade them from playing the whole thing, in case it contains secret messengers to terrorist cells,” said Donald Rumsfeld at a press conference shortly after the tapes were released. “But, every time Osama launches into [Etta James’s] ‘At Last,’ my heart just melts.”
President of jazz label Blue Note Records Bruce Lundvall would not rule out the possibility of signing bin Laden to a record contract. “Look, he’s obviously a terrorist who is responsible for the deaths of thousands worldwide. But talent just exists independent of looks or age or murders committed.” Lundvall, who had unexpected success with Norah Jones last year, said “I would be very interested in getting him into a professional studio and cleaning up these recordings. I’m sure Blue Note wouldn’t be the only record company that would be interested in him either.” He suggested that “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” or “I’ve Got You Under My Skin” were both possible singles.
Al Jazeera believes that the tape was never meant to be heard by the public. “It was probably just sitting on a shelf or in a box somewhere,” said Saib Allouni, the Al Jazeera reporter who broke the story. “Someone probably grabbed for a tape of bin Laden further advocating the destruction of the West and accidentally grabbed this.” He added that although possibly embarrassing for bin Laden, “the jazz world is much better off for having heard these spectacular recordings.”
Record producer and American Idol judge Randy Jackson concurred with the positive reviews for the cassette. “I don’t know if bin Laden has the look to become a superstar, but neither did Clay Aiken when he walked in to audition and look where it got him.” When asked what advice he would give bin Laden, he said, “look dude, you’ve got a killer voice. Just focus on the singing and you won’t need terrorism, dawg. Honestly, when I hear ‘I Got Rhythm’ or ‘Brother, Can You Spare a Dime’ or ‘My Funny Valentine,’ I totally forget about all that terrorism stuff.”
Al Qaeda’s second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri released his own tape shortly after, assuring Arabs around the world that “bin Laden’s musical ambitions will in no way slow our jihad against the West.” He then gave his own renditions of “The More I See You” and “ ‘S Wonderful,” both of which were unanimously panned by critics.
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