Record Reviews

NITZAN EIN-HABAR ~ ONE NIGHT… NOT ON LABEL ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz Recorded: 2012 Released: 2012 This is an album by Israeli Jazz saxophonist / composer Nitzan Ein-HabarFind albums by this artist, recorded in a quartet setting with pianist Elad HadarFind albums by this artist, bassist Guy LeviFind albums by this artist and drummer Eitan ItzcovichFind albums by this artist. Vocalist Tamar EisenmanFind albums by this artist guests on one track, singing the lyrics she wrote. The album presents eight tracks, all original compositions by Ein-Habar. Despite the fact that the recording was a “live in the studio” affair, the sound quality is absolutely perfect, with every nuance perfectly audible. The music is beautifully lyrical, somewhat melancholic and full of great melodic themes, which are passionately performed by the quartet. Contrary to most Israeli Jazz recordings, this album avoids any Middle Eastern influences, neither harmonically nor rhythmically, and offers a purely European ambience, which makes the music completely universal. Ein-Habar, who is a founding member of the legendary Israeli Jazz ensemble MinuetteFind albums by this artist, has been active on the local scene in many capacities, and is a respected member of the local community. Sadly, his recording legacy in the Jazz milieu is rather limited, which makes this album especially important as a great document of his great talent as an instrumentalist and composer. Overall, this is a brilliant album, one of the best Israeli Jazz albums ever, which deserves much wider audiences than the tiny local Israeli scene, so if you can find a copy, grab it or try to find the music on the web. I assure you it is as good as some of the best music out there, just heart melting!

Updated: 05/02/2026Posted: 04/02/2026

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

MINUETTE ~ PATRICIO`S STORY NMC (ISRAEL) 1079 (Barcode: 7290003299881) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz Recorded: 1993 Released: 1993 This is the 2nd album by the Israeli Jazz quartet MinuetteFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist / flautist Nitzan Ein-HabarFind albums by this artist, guitarist Menachem ZibzinerFind albums by this artist, bassist Itay ShimronFind albums by this artist and drummer Doron RaphaeliFind albums by this artist. The album, recorded in 1993, presents eleven tracks, all of which are original compositions by the quartet members. During the early to mid-1990s Minuette were one of the most popular Jazz ensembles in Israel, and offered a fresh musical approach, which was accessible to a wide audience, and as a result sold quite a few CDs at the time, which was highly unusual for a Jazz album. The original quartet disbanded in 1996, following the recording of their third album, and was reunited in 2017 with a young bass player Jonatan CohenFind albums by this artist replacing Shimron. The music is energetic and based on solid melodic themes, blending many cross-genre and influences, including Ethnic roots as well as flirting with Fusion. This original amalgam was undoubtedly the most decisive factor of their popularity, and in retrospect the music still sounds very appealing. Overall, this is fond memory of the 1990s, which was the most dynamic period of development for Israeli Jazz, with many recording by local musicians, which now are sadly almost completely forgotten, despite the fact that many of them formidably stand the test of time, like this one.

Updated: 06/02/2026Posted: 06/02/2026

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

MINUETTE ~ THE ETERNAL RIVER MCI 84025 (Barcode: 7293738402540) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 1996 Released: 1996 This is the 3rd album by the Israeli Jazz quartet MinuetteFind albums by this artist, which comprises of saxophonist / flautist Nitzan Ein-HabarFind albums by this artist, guitarist Menachem ZibzinerFind albums by this artist, bassist Itay ShimronFind albums by this artist and drummer Doron RaphaeliFind albums by this artist. The album presents eight tracks, four of which are compositions by the legendary Egyptian singer / songwriter / actor Mohammed Abdel WahabFind albums by this artist, three are original compositions by the quartet members and one is by Miles DavisFind albums by this artist. It is the last album by the original quartet, which disbanded soon after the recording, to be reunited in 2017. This album is a tribute to the Middle Eastern music, celebrating the music of Wahab, but also including strong ethnic elements in the original compositions. The music is full of Mediterranean atmosphere, and develops slowly, which allows the quartet members to expand their soloing. After several years of playing together and with two excellent albums to their credit, this album, recorded “live in the studio”, offers a relaxed atmosphere, almost like a jam session, which suits the music ideally. Overall, this is fond memory of the 1990s, which was the most dynamic period of development for Israeli Jazz, with many recording by local musicians, which sadly now are almost completely forgotten, despite the fact that many of them formidably stand the test of time.

Updated: 26/01/2026Posted: 26/01/2026

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

MENACHEM ZIBZINER ~ PULSE NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 198026551825) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz Recorded: 2024 Released: 2025 There is no doubt that Menachem ZibzinerFind albums by this artist’s pulse can still be felt strongly, which for people of our generation is not that obvious. And I don’t mean his body’s pulse of course (in case you wonder), but his musical pulsations, which have been a part of his persona for as long as I can remember. He was one of the Israeli Jazz scene most active instigators in the 1990s, leading the MinuetteFind albums by this artist ensemble and releasing several albums with them, as well as being involved with other musical ventures. It is therefore most welcome to hear his music pulsating again. The intimate guitar trio format, which also involves the next generation of the Zibziner family, continues the practice of amalgamating several musical trends, including ethnic influences, and creating a cross-genre experience, with a fragrance of openness and melodic elegance. Just grab a glass of wine, relax and enjoy… Side Note The above are my liner notes included on this album's artwork. I am honored when asked by the Artists to write liner notes for their albums, always hoping that my words reflect the true spirit of the music. This is also a symbol of our mutual respect and friendship developed over the years. The same is also true when Record Labels ask me to write liner notes for their releases, mostly in the case of reissues of archival albums, which is a symbol of their appreciation of my knowledge and historical perspective and my recognition of their dedication to the preservation of the history of recorded music and the effort to keep human Culture and Aesthetics alive.

Updated: 22/01/2026Posted: 22/01/2026

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend