Record Reviews

KOBY HAYON ~ GEMINI NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 884501309998) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz Recorded: 2009 Released: 2010 This is a debut recording by Israeli guitarist / composer Koby HayonFind albums by this artist with his trio featuring veteran bassist Kermit DriscollFind albums by this artist and drummer Jerome MorrisFind albums by this artist. Hayon composed nine of the eleven tunes performed here and the two remaining compositions originate from such diverse sources as Israeli / Yemenite folk tune and the Beatles. Most Israeli Jazz players, many of which live in the US, as does Hayon, incorporate Middle Eastern influences in their music, and the same applies here. Although in most cases these influences are pretty subtle, hidden between the contemporary Jazz idioms, they can be discovered by an attentive listener with ease, and sometimes they become pretty obvious. Hayon´s technique is excellent throughout, regardless if he plays a straight-forward Jazz or crosses over to Fusion pyrotechnics. Although the influence of his teachers and mentors, like John AbercrombieFind albums by this artist and Pat MethenyFind albums by this artist is also evident, Hayon contributes enough originality and personal input to make his statements sound unique and distinctive well beyond plagiarism. The most impressive aspect of this recording is the interplay between the musicians and the performance of these three musicians as team. Driscoll´s bass is beautifully supportive and complementary and Morris´ drumming delicately ornaments the music rather than trying to force the rhythmic patterns on top. Personally I enjoyed more the delicate, slow and contemplative compositions here, rather than the more expressive Fusion oriented pieces, but one has to admit that Hayon´s performances are beautifully executed in all cases. The recording quality is also excellent, with every single note perfectly audible and the overall sound ambience just right for this kind of music. This is definitely a most impressive debut and I hope to hear more from Hayon in the not too distant future. Warmly recommended!

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TRIO SHALVA ~ RIDING ALONE NOT ON LABEL (Barcode: 884501440813) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2010 Released: 2011 Trio Shalva consists of three Israeli Jazz musicians living in the US: pianist Assaf GleiznerFind albums by this artist, guitarist Koby HayonFind albums by this artist and drummer Nadav Snir ZelnikerFind albums by this artist. This is their debut recording as a trio, presenting a tribute to Israeli music, which is an integral part of their cultural heritage. Of the nine tracks present on the album, six are Israeli standards / evergreens and three are originals (two by Hayon and the title track by Gleizner). In contrast to Hayon´s excellent debut album "GeminiFind albums with this title" released a year earlier, on this album he plays mostly bass guitar (with a few acoustic guitar parts), which basically makes Trio Shalva a piano trio with the pianist naturally being the main soloist. But the trio works as a close-knit unit with a lot of mutual respect, listening and complimenting each other. The approach is basically mellow, with emphasis on melody, but the improvisations are interesting and the level of musicianship excellent at all times. Most importantly they manage to avoid being trivial, which is always the greatest danger, when playing standards. The album is appealing both to relatively inexperienced Jazz listeners, who can follow the melodic lines, and the connoisseurs, who can enjoy the sophisticated arrangement and the intricate tricks of the trade. The sound and recording quality are also excellent. Overall this is a very aesthetically pleasing album, which only gets better with repeated listening. Warmly recommended!

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