Record Reviews

ELI DEGIBRI ~ LIVE AT LOUIS 649 ANZIC 3001 (Barcode: 896434001115) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz Recorded: 2007 Released: 2008 3rd album by Israeli (resident in US) saxophonist / composer Eli DegibriFind albums by this artist, one of several young Israeli Jazz players, who established themselves as part of the new vibrant generation of top international players. Degibri is a member of the Al FosterFind albums by this artist quartet / trio and for 3 years was a member of the Herbie HancockFind albums by this artist sextet, credentials that would make any aspiring Jazz musician proud. In parallel he also leads his own ensembles, which perform predominantly his own compositions. This album presents Degibri in an unusual trio setting with Hammond player Gary VersaceFind albums by this artist and drummer Obed CalvaireFind albums by this artist, playing live in a tiny NY Jazz club. The material is all, except for a couple of standards, composed by Degibri, and the trio is obviously having a great time performing. The soaring Hammond (one of my favorite instruments) and soulful saxophone create a somewhat "retro" atmosphere for this entire gig, which is truly delightful and reminiscent of the good old days, when music was played straight from the heart. The great thing about this album is that it can be enjoyed on many levels; it is great fun to listen to, but it also presents plenty of sophistication and insightful moments for a Jazz connoisseur, who listens below the surface and beyond the obvious. I can assure anybody that this album is absolutely worth your attention; Hammond lovers (which have a hard time these days to find new recordings) should jump on this like flies on honey!

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HERBIE HANCOCK ~ IN CONCERT IMAGE 89410 (Barcode: 743218941092) ~ USA ~ Jazz Recorded: 2000 Released: 2001 Master pianist / composer Herbie HancockFind albums by this artist needs no introduction to any Jazz fan and his 5th decade of continuously splendid musical creation continues (thank God) uninterrupted to this very day. Although Hancock´s recorded output is enormous, finding his work on film / DVD is another matter, therefore this excellently filmed / recorded concert is quite a find. Produced by the BET on Jazz (and released in the US as "The Jazz Channel Presents Herbie Hancock"), the concert captures Hancock playing acoustic piano with a sextet, which includes Eli DegibriFind albums by this artist on sax (great young Israeli player), Eddie HendersonFind albums by this artist on trumpet, Ira ColemanFind albums by this artist on bass, Terri Lynne CarringtonFind albums by this artist on drums and Cyro BaptistaFind albums by this artist on percussion. The music includes a nice mixture of standards and Hancock´s own excellent compositions, which by now are also recognized as standards, all played with the usual (or rather unusual) brilliant and highly sensitive touch, which is so rare and precious. All the musicians are first class players (Carrington´s drumming is a true marvel) and they get plenty of opportunity to solo, which is always welcome. Overall this is a great opportunity to watch (and hear) the great master at work, captured here for posterity. The DVD also includes an interview with Hancock, which is always a welcome addition. Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound and DTS, 105 minutes.

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ALON OLEARTCHIK ~ OLEARTCHIK JAZZ NMC (ISRAEL) 20431 (Barcode: 7290005217425) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz Recorded: 1999 Released: 1999 This is a beautiful album by Israeli (born in Poland) singer / multi-instrumentalist / songwriter Alon OleartchikFind albums by this artist, best known as the bassist of the legendary KaveretFind albums by this artist, Israel´s most dominant Rock group in the 1970s. After Kaveret folded, Oleartchik studied music in the US and returned to Israel in the mid 1980 and has maintained a solo career since. Over the years he recorded a series of truly excellent albums, which deserve to be considered as some of the finest pieces of music created in Israel. This one, in particular, deserves a lot of praise as it is bold and unusual and shows his one true musical love: Jazz. This album includes mostly Jazz standards, with lyrics translated into Hebrew by Oleartchik, and finds him for the first time in his recording career in the role of purely a vocalist, heading an ensemble comprising of some of the best Israeli Jazz players at the time of the recording: trumpeter Avishai CohenFind albums by this artist, saxophonist Eli DegibriFind albums by this artist, pianist Yonathan AvishaiFind albums by this artist, bassist Ofer ShneiderFind albums by this artist and drummer Shai ZelmanFind albums by this artist. One of the original songs by Oleartchik is also included as is one song by Degibri, which he also sings. The opening track is all scat / vocalese and has no lyrics. The music was recorded live at the Tel-Aviv Camelot club during a series of concerts that lasted for three nights. The best takes were selected for the album, and several alternate takes are included on the second (bonus) CD. The familiar standards have been transformed, no only due to the Hebrew lyrics, but also thanks to Oleartchik´s brilliant arrangements, phrasing and adaptation. This album is not just a singer and a Jazz band performing vocal standards; there are countless albums like that of varying quality. This one is truly different, as much as Oleartchik´s musical identity, which has no parallels. This is a wonderful amalgam of classic Jazz, which mostly originates in the US, with his Polish roots (probably subconscious) and his Israeli musical upbringing, which is also pretty unique, as most other aspects of Israeli culture. This is obviously a labor of love from start to finish and should be first and foremost accepted as such, revealing its true nature. There is so much beautiful music on this album, that I can´t imagine any music connoisseur to remain untouched by it. In some respects this album is conceptually similar to Gidi GovFind albums by this artist´s (ex-Kaveret lead singer) album "Moon DanceFind albums with this title", recorded three years later, which also presents Jazz (or Jazzy) standards with Hebrew lyrics and beautiful Jazz arrangements. Both these albums are among my favorite Israeli recordings and deserve to be discovered by audiences outside of Israel. The fact that both Oleartchik and Gov rejected the attempt to sing the standards in English is extremely important, as most non-English speaking vocalist repeatedly attempt to do so and more often than not fail miserably. Most warmly recommended!

Updated: 15/09/2024Posted:

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YONI RECHTER ~ MUSIC IS WHAT COUNTS TAV 8 (Barcode: 7290105161734) ~ ISRAEL ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2010 Released: 2012 This is a wonderful live recording by Israel´s most important composer / pianist / vocalist Yoni RechterFind albums by this artist. In the last 40 years Rechter enriched the Israeli Culture by a vast amount of absolutely superb songs, which are all instant classics. His monumental talents, completely unique approach to melody and profound lyricism are unparalleled and have always been a beacon of light in the dreary musical landscape, which usually surrounds us. Rechter´s songs have been an important catalyst, which launched the careers of many top Israeli artists, such as Gidi GovFind albums by this artist, Yehudith RavitzFind albums by this artist and many others. This recording captures a performance at the annual "Piano Festival", which gave Rechter an opportunity to produce a marvelous retrospective of his work, featuring his old and new songs and performing them with many guests, who came to pay a well deserved tribute to his genius. Rechter plays piano and keyboards and is accompanied by a small ensemble with consists of guitarist Aharoni BenariFind albums by this artist, bassist Yorai OronFind albums by this artist and drummer Tal CohenFind albums by this artist. Several other musicians also take part, including the excellent saxophonist Eli DegibriFind albums by this artist, percussionist Joca PerpignanFind albums by this artist and a string quartet. Several guest vocalists take part in the recording, including Yehudith Ravitz, NatanelaFind albums by this artist, Rona KeinanFind albums by this artist and Shlomi ShabanFind albums by this artist. There is so much wonderful music included here, that it seems almost ridiculous to recommend it to others, but honestly anybody, who loves Israeli music, or just quality music, regardless of where it comes from, will enjoy this immensely. A masterpiece!

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