Record Reviews

ALON NECHUSHTAN ~ DARK FORCES CREATIVE SOURCES 195 (Barcode: 5609063401950) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz Recorded: 2003 - 2010 Released: 2011 Israeli (resident in NY) keyboardist / composer Alon NechushtanFind albums by this artist emerges as one of the most remarkable musicians of the new generation. His exceptional work with his TalatFind albums by this artist quintet in the field of radical Jewish music and his piano trio recording released recently were both refreshing and of exceptional quality, but nothing could prepare his audiences for this momentous work, which reveals him as a major Avant-Garde composer / performer. Recorded over a period of seven years, this album presents a series of compositions for electronic keyboards and a Jazz ensemble, merging ambient, electronic, Free Jazz and Improvised Music. The list of players reads like the who´s who of contemporary US Free Jazz / experimental scene and includes bassist Mark DresserFind albums by this artist, bass clarinetist Ned RothenbergFind albums by this artist, guitarists Henry KaiserFind albums by this artist and Elliott SharpFind albums by this artist and many other outstanding musicians. The music consists of electronic ambient layers, which serve as basis for the Jazz players to paint their improvisations on top. It is heavily atmospheric, magical and enthralling, pulling the listener deeper and deeper into the strangely beautiful world of sound created by the composer and the performers. Of course such music requires attentive listening, but as Avant-Garde as it is, it remains highly communicative, even to the lesser trained ears. This album proves that Nechushtan is a surprisingly versatile musician, with lots to offer, which means he should be closely followed as he keeps surprising us again and again. Great stuff!

Updated: 12/04/2019Posted:

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

ALON NECHUSHTAN ~ WORLDS BEYOND BUCKYBALL 024 (Barcode: 697855002428) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz Recorded: 2010 Released: 2010 New album by Israeli (resident in NY) pianist Alon NechushtanFind albums by this artist, this time in a trio setting with bassist Francois MoutinFind albums by this artist and drummer Dan WeissFind albums by this artist, which presents nine brilliant compositions by the leader and an exceptional performance by the trio. Nechushtan is of course fondly remembered for his fantastic work with the TalatFind albums by this artist quintet ("The GrowlFind albums with this title" on TzadikFind albums on this label Records), which to this day is one of my favorite albums of the last decade. This album is completely different from his work with Talat, which combined Jazz and Klezmer / Hasidic music, and presents superb modern Jazz unrelated to any particular ethnic references. Nechushtan again shines both as a composer, with his tunes sounding like instant classics, which could have been composed by the likes of Chick CoreaFind albums by this artist or Herbie HancockFind albums by this artist, and as player, displaying dazzling technique and sensitivity. His supporting team is also brilliant all the way, with Moutin doing some incredible stuff with his bass (don´t try this at home) and Weiss beating the hell out of the drum kit, but always right on the beat. Overall this is a great album, immensely enjoyable and deeply moving emotionally. I can´t imagine any true Jazz fan not falling in love with this album instantly, and therefore I recommend it wholeheartedly. A true must!

CD 1 Digipak Recommend To A Friend

TALAT ~ THE GROWL TZADIK 8113 (Barcode: 702397811329) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz-World Fusion Recorded: 2006 Released: 2006 Klezmer / Hasidic music and Jazz have a lot in common, at times being almost undistinguishable. Although based on quite different musical foundations (Eastern European folk motifs vs. the blues), both these musical genres are mainly about improvisation, the most significant characteristic that sets them apart from most other types of music. The attempts to merge these two genres have been undertaken by many musicians active in both genres with various degrees of success. John ZornFind albums by this artist’s label TzadikFind albums on this label (which released this album) is the home label to some of these musicians, as is another Jewish owned NY label called Knitting FactoryFind albums on this label. Although I’m pretty familiar with most of this stuff, hearing this album really knocked me out completely. Never before have I heard such a harmonious and clever interchange of these two genres, almost painfully brilliant. TalatFind albums by this artist is a NY based quintet led by Israeli composer / pianist Alon NechushtanFind albums by this artist, who composed and arranged all the music on this album. His cahoots are four young players (Marc MommaasFind albums by this artist – saxophones, Matt ShulmanFind albums by this artist – trumpet, Matt PavolkaFind albums by this artist – bass and Jordan PersonFind albums by this artist – drums) with exceptional abilities and technique. The music cleverly moves between the Klezmer-like melodies and the jazz-like improvisations with such ease and elegance that the transition seems to be perfectly natural and smooth. The arrangements are devilishly clever and intricate, but easy on the ear, so this wonderful music should please even the less experienced listeners who had little experience with contemporary improvised music. Alon’s incredible gift to make complex music sound easy is one that many fellow musicians should envy, as it is rare and precious. This is a rare gem and an essential example of music transcending the limitations of what is considered humanly possible. A must!

CD 1 Essential Recommend To A Friend