Record Reviews

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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