Record Reviews
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  | SHLOMO ARTZI ~ MIDNIGHT
HED ARZI 14822 (Barcode: 7293372482229) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock
Recorded: 1981 Released: 1991
Israeli singer / songwriter Shlomo ArtziFind albums by this artist has been the most iconic figure on the local music scene since the late 1970s. His songs have become the soundtrack of Israeli life, both in the moments of joy and those of profound sadness, overwhelmingly accepted as the epitome of the collective Israeliness, shared by all those living in Israel. In retrospect this phenomenon is quite surprising, as Artzi´s music is definitely non-trivial and often quite complex and his lyrics are usually cryptic, convoluted and associative, rather than narrative. And yet hundreds of thousands of Israelis are able to sing his songs, quoting every phrase and chanting each note. His live performances, which are legendary in scope and intensity, transcend well beyond cultural events and for many of the participants turn into emotional experiences of truly epic proportions. Although Artzi started his musical life at an early age, the initial period of his career and his early recordings are considered less significant, although some indications of his abilities were already present these. It was the release of the album "He Lost His Way…Find albums with this title" which established him as a major force on the local scene and his career took off from this point onward with a meteoric momentum. It was followed up by the brilliant album "WaysFind albums with this title", which was the first true giant step in Artzi´s "Golden Age" and remains one of his strongest to date, a definite, serious artistic statement in every respect. This, the follow up album, is very much a continuation of the style and approach established by its predecessor, with all 9 songs being composed and written by Artzi. It has a strong Jazz-Rock influence, which is emphasized by the presence of a brass section and the brilliant guitar work by Mordy FerberFind albums by this artist and exceptional (as always) flute parts by Shem Tov LevyFind albums by this artist. Of course every Artzi album is an absolute must for every lover of Israeli music in general and Israeli Rock in particular. A classic!
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | SHLOMO ARTZI ~ WAYS
HED ARZI 14751 (Barcode: 7293372475122) ~ ISRAEL ~ Classic Rock
Recorded: 1979 Released: 1991
Israeli singer / songwriter Shlomo ArtziFind albums by this artist has been the most iconic figure on the local music scene since the late 1970s. His songs have become the soundtrack of Israeli life, both in the moments of joy and those of profound sadness, overwhelmingly accepted as the epitome of the collective Israeliness, shared by all those living in Israel. In retrospect this phenomenon is quite surprising, as Artzi´s music is definitely non-trivial and often quite complex and his lyrics are usually cryptic, convoluted and associative, rather than narrative. And yet hundreds of thousands of Israelis are able to sing his songs, quoting every phrase and chanting each note. His live performances, which are legendary in scope and intensity, transcend well beyond cultural events and for many of the participants turn into emotional experiences of truly epic proportions. Although Artzi started his musical life at an early age, the initial period of his career and his early recordings are considered less significant, although some indications of his abilities were already present these. It was the release of the album "He Lost His Way…Find albums with this title" which established him as a major force on the local scene and his career took off from this point onward with a meteoric momentum. This album followed up in the footsteps of the breakthrough release and is therefore often referred to as the 2nd Shlomo Artzi album, which of course is true in some sense, but not factually accurate. Here Artzi offers 9 brilliant songs, all composed by him, with 7 of the songs also having his lyrics. Brilliantly arranged and performed, the album is the first true giant step in Artzi´s "Golden Age" and remains one of his strongest to date. It is a definite, serious artistic statement in every respect. Special mention should go to the brilliant guitar work by Mordy FerberFind albums by this artist. Of course every Artzi album is an absolute must for every lover of Israeli music in general and Israeli Rock in particular. A classic!
| | | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | MORDY FERBER ~ ALL THE WAY TO SENDAI
ENJA 6030 (Barcode: 063757603023) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz-Rock Fusion
Recorded: 1990 Released: 1990
This is the debut album as a leader by Israeli guitarist / composer Mordy FerberFind albums by this artist, recorded with a spectacular international lineup, which includes Japanese trumpeter Tiger OkoshiFind albums by this artist, American saxophonists Bob MintzerFind albums by this artist, keyboardists American Brad HatfieldFind albums by this artist and Swiss Matthias GohlFind albums by this artist, bassists Czech Miroslav VitousFind albums by this artist and French Gildas BocleFind albums by this artist, American drummer Marty RichardsFind albums by this artist and Brazilian percussionist / vocalist Nana VasconcelosFind albums by this artist. The album presents six tracks, all of which are original compositions by Ferber.
Ferber, born in 1958 near Haifa, was one of the many young Israeli musicians, who frequented my home while growing up and getting into Jazz, partly under my influence. By the end of the 1970s and in early 1980s Ferber became a most sought after Israeli session guitarists and took part in recording many legendary albums at the time. He left to study at Berklee, like many other Israeli Jazz musicians, and decided to stay in the US, visiting Israel occasionally.
The music floats between melodic contemporary Jazz and some more Fusion influenced pieces, all beautifully put together and performed by this highly talented team. His guitar performances are nothing short of stellar and the entire album is a great piece of delightful music, which sadly never achieved the proper attention on the US scene, which has always been flooded by way too many mediocre releases. He recorded several more albums but his output sadly does not reflect his great talent, which is a great pity.
Overall, this is a beautiful album, full of great music and spectacular playing, which is criminally little known both in Israel and on the global scene. Of course guitar enthusiasts should be primarily happy with this music. A great piece of personal nostalgia for me.
| | Updated: 11/08/2024Posted: 11/08/2024 | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | MORDY FERBER ~ BEING THERE
HALF NOTE ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1996 Released: 2003
This is the 3rd album as a leader by Israeli guitarist / composer Mordy FerberFind albums by this artist, recorded with a fabulous group of excellent musicians, which includes the rhythm section comprising of bassist Eddie GomezFind albums by this artist and drummer Peter ErskineFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Brad HatfieldFind albums by this artist, saxophonists Michael BreckerFind albums by this artist and Norwegian Ole MathisenFind albums by this artist (on one track), percussionist Frank ColonFind albums by this artist and finally bassist Will LeeFind albums by this artist and Japanese trumpeter Tiger OkoshiFind albums by this artist (both on one track). The album presents nine tracks, all original compositions by the leader.
The music is a brilliant collection of beautiful tunes, highly melodic and touching, all superbly performed by all the participants. Although Ferber is the main soloists, this album is not about showing his extraordinary guitar skills, but more of a team effort, to present the compositions at the most harmonious setting. That does not mean, of course, that his guitar is not featured prominently, and for guitar lovers this album is an absolute delight from start to finish.
Also prominent is the extraordinary talent and unique feel of Eddie Gomez, who seems to be an ideal partner in crime herein. His work throughout the album, and especially the duo and trio tracks, where his bass is up front, are simply stunning. But all the musicians on this album seem to have a great time and play their hearts out.
Overall, this is a stunning album in every respect, which spotlights Ferber both as a brilliant guitarist with a unique sound and feel, and an excellent weaver of melodies, which are coherent and aesthetically pleasing. In a world, where true artistry is appreciated, this album should have reached every Jazz lover and guitar enthusiast the world over, but alas that is nor the case. But it is never too late to grab a copy – you won’t regret it!
| | Updated: 07/09/2024Posted: 07/09/2024 | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | MORDY FERBER ~ MR. X
HALF NOTE 4205 (Barcode: 015095420527) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz
Recorded: 1995 Released: 2000
This is the 2nd album as a leader by Israeli guitarist / composer Mordy FerberFind albums by this artist, recorded with a spectacular lineup, which includes American saxophonists Dave LiebmanFind albums by this artist and George GarzoneFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Brad HatfieldFind albums by this artist, bassist Eddie GomezFind albums by this artist, drummer Jack DeJohnetteFind albums by this artist and Brazilian percussionist Nana VasconcelosFind albums by this artist. The album presents seven tracks, six of which are original compositions by Ferber and one is by Charlie HadenFind albums by this artist. This is a second edition of the album.
Ferber, born in 1958 near Haifa, was one of the several young Israeli musicians, who frequented my home while growing up and getting into Jazz, partly under my influence. By the end of the 1970s and in early 1980s Ferber became a most sought after Israeli session guitarists and took part in recording many legendary albums at the time. He left to study at Berklee, like many other Israeli Jazz musicians, and decided to stay in the US, visiting Israel occasionally.
The music floats between melodic contemporary Jazz and some more Fusion influenced pieces, all beautifully put together and performed by this highly talented team. His guitar performances are nothing short of stellar and the entire album is a great piece of delightful music, which sadly never achieved the proper attention on the US scene, which has always been flooded by way too many releases. He recorded several more albums but his output sadly does not reflect his great talent, which is a great pity.
Overall, this is a beautiful album, full of great music and spectacular playing, which is criminally little known both in Israel and on the global scene. The contributions by Eddie Gomez are especially stunning and alone worth getting a copy of this album. Of course guitar enthusiasts should be also fully satisfied. A great piece of personal nostalgia for me.
| | Updated: 07/09/2024Posted: 18/07/2024 | CD 1 Recommend To A Friend |
  | MORDY FERBER ~ REFLECTION
NOT ON LABEL ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz
Recorded: 2010 Released: 2011
This is the 4th album as a leader by Israeli guitarist / composer Mordy FerberFind albums by this artist, recorded with his regular quintet at the time, which includes saxophonist Rob DavisFind albums by this artist, keyboardist Greg GoebelFind albums by this artist, bassist Dave CapteinFind albums by this artist and drummer Todd StraitFind albums by this artist. The album presents nine tracks, all original compositions by the leader.
The music is a collection of beautifully crafted tunes, which reflect the experience and maturity Ferber clearly achieved over the years, both as a composer and performer. In contrast to his earlier recordings, on which Ferber was establishing his position on the US scene, surrounded by world class musicians, here he plays along with a team that polished its chops together for a long time without the need to prove anything and just play as well as humanly possible.
Stylistically the music touches upon many diverse areas and different degrees of freedom and space, always coming out from melodic roots but often taking unexpected twists and turns, before retuning safely back to the base. The coherent flow and relaxed atmosphere make the journey pleasant, but often quite complex, requiring attentive listening.
Ferber the guitarist, comes back to many of his guitar heroes, who influenced him in his youth, with Masters like Tal Farlowe or Larry Coryell, whose unique phrasings will be recognizable to guitar connoisseurs. There is no attempt to show off, or prove skills, which are obvious, just plain superbly crafted guitar magic.
Overall, this is by far the most mature statement by Ferber, a deeply resounding piece of serious, heartfelt music, which should grab the attention of every true Jazz lover and guitar enthusiast the world over. Not an easy listening experience, but a highly rewarding musical experience, which guarantees a lasting pleasure.
| | Updated: 09/09/2024Posted: 09/09/2024 | CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend |
  | SHLOMO GRONICH ~ COTTON CANDY (EXPANDED EDITION)
HED ARZI 64485 (Barcode: 7293372448591) ~ ISRAEL ~ Progressive Rock
Recorded: 1981 - 1982 Released: 2004
3rd album. Recorded after Shlomo GronichFind albums by this artist returned from the US, where he studied composition, this is probably the best rock album ever recorded in Israel. Everything is perfect here - Gronich`s superb compositions and virtuoso keyboards and vocal performances, as well as the best possible team of musicians, including the best Israeli jazz musicians (especially the young Mordy FerberFind albums by this artist on guitar, who was to leave for the US soon and establish a brilliant career for himself there). The album has a strong fusion feel, but is basically firmly rooted in rock. Timeless!
| | | CD 1 Slipcase Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend |
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