A Middle Eastern Symphony

Brian put together a memorable soundtrack for "Suleyman the Magnificent", working with Omar and other Middle Eastern musicians, capturing the essence of the Turkish culture, and combining it in a cinematic orchestration that was a first of its kind. Figuring out ways of harmonizing, and avoiding conflicts with quarter tones in certain Middle Eastern scales, Keane stumbled on a sound that would revolutionize Middle Eastern music from that point forward.

German publisher Eckart Rahn happened to watch Suleyman on PBS television when it was broadcast nationally in 1987, and being moved by the soundtrack, contacted the Metropolitan Museum of Art about obtaining the rights to release the soundtrack on his up and coming independent record label, Celestial Harmonies. However, at some point, months after the broadcast, Rahn realized that he had already known, and met Brian from his guitar duo work with Larry Coryell, but just couldn’t imagine that Brian Keane would be the same guy composing such an authentic sounding music score for a film about art of the Ottoman Empire. Eckart contacted Brian directly, made arrangements, and Brian went into the studio and converted the score into the “Suleyman the Magnificent” soundtrack album which was released to critical acclaim in 1988.

Brian and Omar would record a critically acclaimed follow up duo record, “Fire Dance” for Celestial Harmonies in 1990, and an ensemble record, “Beyond The Sky” in 1991, for which Brian and Omar added Armenian percussionist Arto Tuncboyaciyan, oud master Ara Dinkjian, and a young kanun player from Turkey named Hasan Isakkut. "Beyond the Sky” turned out to be a huge, ground breaking hit in the Middle East, as well as the Echoes record of the year, and those original recordings from 35-40 years ago are still enjoying millions of streams to this day!

In 1993, signed to Blue Note as a jazz recording artist, and with a career developing fast as a Middle Eastern artist, and with young children and a booming film composer career and a blossoming record producing career as well, Brian decided that he would have to choose a direction that made sense. He decided to challenge the record companies artistically, knowing they were primarily interested in commerce, and knowing that the composing and producing was enough to stay more than busy creating music, Keane created The Bebop Headbangers From Outer Space to get out of the Blue Note contract, and wrote a twenty minute Middle Eastern Symphony to get out of being an artist with Celestial Harmonies, (both plans worked). Brian then took advantage of the success of those Middle Eastern records to arrange a deal to launch a solo career for Omar Faruk Tekbilek, getting him enough of an advance from Celestial Harmonies that Omar could afford to quit his day job in the Rochester factory, and become a full time touring musician. Neither the Bebop Headbangers project nor A Middle Eastern Symphony were ever finished until 2023 and 2025 respectively, though the musicians on the original demos always believed in them, and in fact, came back to record them 30 years later.

Keane became so in demand as a composer and producer that he decided to pause his own recording artist and touring career, (though he would still play as a guest on other artists records, and on many of the records and soundtracks that he was producing). Brian Keane would, however, produce the first five records of Omar Faruk Tekbilek as a featured artist, and that began Omar’s career. Brian produced those records while becoming the multiple Emmy, Peabody, and Oscar award winning composer, and Grammy winning producer that he is today. Omar Faruk Tekbilek went on to become a legendary musician in Middle Eastern music.