Upper Mesopotamia Upper Mesopotamia Upper Mesopotamia is the name used for the uplands and great outwash plain of northwestern Iraq, northeastern Syria and southeastern Turkey, in the northern Middle East. After the Arab Islamic conquest of the mid-7th century AD the region has been known by the traditional Arabic name of al-Jazira ( "the island"), also transliterated "Djazirah", "Djezirah", "Jazirah" & the Syriac (Aramaic) variant "Gāzartā" or "Gozarto" (). The Euphrates and Tigris rivers transform Mesopotamia into almost an island, as they are joined together at the Shatt al-Arab in the Basra Governorate of Iraq, and their sources in eastern Turkey are
Mesopotamia (EP) and Keith Strickland on drums. Saxophones on tour were played by Ralph Carney and trumpet and duck calls by David Buck. Opening for over thirty dates on the 1982 "Mesopotamia" tour were the Bongos who were supporting their debut album. A friendship was forged between the two bands which led to various collaborations, especially between Fred Schneider and the Bongos' Richard Barone. The EP was a moderate success, and spawned three single releases: double A-sides "Deep Sleep"/"Nip it in the Bud," "Cake"/"Loveland" and "Mesopotamia"/"Throw That Beat in the Garbage Can." Mesopotamia (EP) Mesopotamia is an EP by new wave band