Record Reviews

TSAHAR / KAPLAN / SARID ~ CRIES OF DISILLUSION EARSAY 019 (Barcode: 7293627001922) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz Recorded: 1999 Released: 2001 Assif TsaharFind albums by this artist (tenor sax and bass clarinet), Ori KaplanFind albums by this artist (alto sax) and Daniel SaridFind albums by this artist (piano) are typical representatives of the contemporary Israeli Jazz scene. They all left Israeli for the US in the late 1980’s to study and then perform and gain experience on the vibrant New York scene. Upon their return to Israel a decade later, they were already seasoned musicians. They integrated into the local scene, formed ensembles and started to record albums. This album, recorded 1999, puts them together in one ensemble for the first time. Each of them contributes compositions (all the music is original) and of course plays on the album, which was recorded in a quintet setting with Israeli bass player Oded GoldshmidtFind albums by this artist and US drummer Bob MayerFind albums by this artist. The music is great modern jazz, with some free elements, but mostly “conventional” enough to be accessible to most modern jazz listeners. Both the compositions and the performances are top notch and this is a valuable document of the local Israeli Jazz scene.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

DANIEL SARID ~ PEARLS OF PERIL EARSAY 021 (Barcode: 7293627102124) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz Recorded: 2000 Released: 2001 Pianist Daniel SaridFind albums by this artist is one of the most important representatives of the Israeli Free Jazz scene, which developed significantly since the 1980’s, when musicians like the renowned pianist and composer Vyacheslav GanelinFind albums by this artist immigrated to Israel and started performing and teaching music here. The ensembles led by clarinetist Harold RubinFind albums by this artist were also an excellent breeding ground for many young Israeli musicians, including Daniel Sarid, who played and recorded with Rubin. This album is Daniel’s first recording as a leader. It includes 15 relatively short composed pieces, performed by Sarid and drummer Hagai FershtmanFind albums by this artist. On five pieces saxophonist Ori KaplanFind albums by this artist joins the duo. This intimate setting is an ideal platform for the musician to express their abilities and the phenomenal interplay between them. Highly recommended ear-opener to connoisseurs of the genre.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

ALBERT BEGER ~ HEVEL HAVALIM EARSAY 028 ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz 4th album (recorded 2002) by Israeli saxophonist / flautist Albert Beger, who is the most prominent Israeli Jazz musician in the Free-Jazz field. This recording presents Beger in a trio setting with his regular bass player Gabriel Meyer and drummer Hagai Fershtman. As usual Beger composed all the music and is responsible for all the arrangements. With this album he definitely crosses over to the “top league” of contemporary Jazz players of the highest quality. The profound understanding of the Jazz idiom, the respect for past Masters (especially Coltrane, Dolphy, Ayler and Lacy) and constant drive towards the musical enlightenment make Beger one of the most interesting contemporary Jazz musicians. Contrary to the usual assumption that Free Jazz is undisciplined and chaotic, Beger’s compositions are surprisingly melodic and acceptable even to people, who are not connoisseurs of the genre. I only wish Beger would get the recognition and worldwide acceptance he so richly deserves.

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

ALBERT BEGER ~ LISTENING EARSAY 033 ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz 5th album (recorded 2004) by Israeli saxophonist Albert Beger, one of the country’s most prominent musician and a Master player / composer of international statue. This recording presents Beger in a quintet setting, where in addition to his regular trio (with Meyer and Fershtman) two excellent musicians come on board: saxophonist Yoni Silver and guitarist Yiftach Kadan. This expanded format enables Beger to present more complex compositions and the interplay between the musicians is broader with multi-layered voicing and rich harmonic textures. The music is as excellent as all Berger’s material so far and it can be summarized beautifully by the Steve Lacy (to whom the album is dedicated) quote: “We don’t determine music, the music determines us: we only follow it to the end of our life: then it goes on without us”. I am sure Beger’s music will go on forever as well.

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LORD FLIMNAP ~ POINT OF VIEW EARSAY 034 (Barcode: 7290010420346) ~ ISRAEL ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1988 - 1989 Released: 2004 Only album by a trio of young Israeli musicians (aged 15/16 at the time) called Lord FlimnapFind albums by this artist, which became the most mysterious and illusive Israeli Prog album ever. Released in Israel in 1989 on casette only, it was released later by a small german label on CD, but the label never mentioned that the material comes from Israel. The label folded soon after the album was released and the CD disappeared from the market and became a rare collector`s item. Now it is available again with some bonus material recorded in the early 1990`s. It is truly unbelievable that such young musicians were able to produce an album, which easily stands its ground to all other Prog albums recorded in Israel. A most welcome reissue!

CD 1 Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

MATTI CASPI ~ YOU ARE MY WOMAN EARSAY 037 (Barcode: 7296134428824) ~ ISRAEL ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 2004 Released: 2005 At the end of his fourth decade as a prominent figure on the Israeli music scene, singer / songwriter Matti CaspiFind albums by this artist is still a formidable performer and his superb songwriting is second to none. In fact it appears as if Caspi is completely resistant to the tides of time and almost never changes his musical approach, which in his case is a good thing, considering he was excellent from day one. This set of new songs is almost identical in character and atmosphere to his early albums recorded in the 1970s. Beautifully melodic, lyrical and wonderfully crafted, they are all masterly performed by Caspi with a help of several guest musicians. Most of the songs´ lyrics were written by one of Israel´s greatest lyricist, the late Ehud ManorFind albums by this artist, who often cooperated with Caspi. This album is a tribute to Manor´s sublime sensibility and talent and reveals beautiful songs written and inspired by love. Lavishly packaged in a hard-cover mini-sleeve and with great graphic design, the album also includes a bonus CD single produced by Caspi and performed by his daughter. This is definitely a great album, which should be warmly received by Caspi´s many fans and all lovers of good Israeli music.

CD 2 Mini-Sleeve Recommend To A Friend

ZINGALE ~ PEACE EARSAY 050 ~ ISRAEL ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1975 Legendary album by the Israeli group ZingaleFind albums by this artist, who mixed Prog and Psychedelic elements to create the first true Prog record recorded in the country. It`s also the most famous Israeli album among Prog collectors around the world. The music was very innovative for the period and their reputation is well deserved.

CD 1 Mini-Sleeve Remastered Bonus Tracks Recommend To A Friend

ALBERT BEGER ~ BIG MOTHER EARSAY 078 (Barcode: 7290010420780) ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz Recorded: 2007 Released: 2008 8th album by Israeli saxophonist Albert BegerFind albums by this artist recorded with his new quartet, which includes two new members: Aviram Ben NaimFind albums by this artist on piano and Yoav ZoharFind albums by this artist on drums. Veteran bassist Gabriel MeyerFind albums by this artist is still with Beger, the only member of his ensemble who plays with him since the first album recorded twelve years ago. Beger composed and arranged all the music, which is surprisingly much more melodic than his previous recordings. Of course there is plenty of free improvisation, but the musical themes are clearly stated and adhered to. The two new members prove to be a wise choice and play splendidly, creating the strongest version of Beger’s quartet ever. Pianist Ben Naim is an ideal accompanist for the leader, with his beautifully harmonic rapid movement all over the keyboard and Zohar on drums builds up the tension skillfully. Meyer’s steady bass foundation keeps the music on track with taste and apparent superb feel for the music. Beger is a great player; comfortable in any situation the music takes him to, regardless of key, tempo or the complexity of the tunes. His writing is getting better all the time and this new music is definitely his strongest statement to date, as a composer. This album stands proudly shoulder to shoulder with any contemporary Jazz recording from Europe or the US, positioning Beger firmly as a world-class Jazz artists. Brilliant stuff!

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ZOHAR LEVY ~ THE BATHTUB QUEEN EARSAY 086 (Barcode: 7290010420865) ~ ISRAEL ~ Progressive Rock Recorded: 1970 Released: 2006 “The Bathtub Queen”, a play written by a young Israeli playwright Hanoch LevinFind albums by this artist and staged by the Kameri Theatre in early 1970 turned out to be a symbol of the Israeli intellectual revolution (see Side note). The stage play also included a number of songs, which were performed by the actors. Levin entrusted the task of composing the music for these songs into the capable hands of the young and talented musician Zohar LevyFind albums by this artist, who at the time was probably the most “progressive” musician on the local scene. Levy, who was also an imaginative drummer with strong jazz and blues influences, was totally open minded as to the musical developments of the era. His music was as revolutionary as Levin’s texts and was as hard to swallow by the Israeli public at the time. The theatre was forced by the outraged public and even more outraged Government to cancel the play after just a few performances, but luckily the songs were recorded in the studio, with the original actors singing and Levy’s quartet accompanying them. This was released on LP in a very limited edition of 500 copies only, soon to become one of the rarest Israeli collector’s items. Now, 36 years later this gem is available again, to the delight of many fans of Israeli music and serves as an incredibly important document of the local scene. Levy’s next musical adventure was his superb group ApocalypseFind albums by this artist, which recorded their eponymous album in 1972 (see on this site). Side Note: In 1970 the Israeli public was still living under the influence of the euphoria induced by Israel’s victory in the 1967 Six-Day War. The Labor Government ruled the country using methods not far removed from the totalitarian Bolshevist model. Any kind of anti-government activity or social criticism was totally taboo and any symptoms of such activity were often brutally silenced, using both democratic / legal and undemocratic methods of intimidation. Hanoch Levin’s “The Bathtub Queen” created the biggest and most violent outrage the country has ever witnessed. In his play Levin slaughtered “Holy Cows” by the herd and made fun of everything, including the Israeli Military, which was considered untouchable and beyond reproach. He predicted that Israel’s victory will eventually lead only to yet another war, which in fact happened just 3 years later (Yom Kippur War). The Israeli Government and the Ministry of Defense in particular used every bit of their influence (including most of the Israeli Media) to force the Kameri Theatre to close the play. They eventually succeeded, but at the same time managed to bring the issues dealt with by the play into the center of the Israeli public discussion and social life, creating the split between the so called Israeli “left” and “right”, present to some extent to this very day. In time Levin became Israel’s most important playwright and his plays were translated into many languages and staged frequently around the globe. He is accepted worldwide as one of the greatest dramatist and precursors of the absurd theatre, continuing the work of his predecessors like Samuel Beckett, Eugene Ionesco and Harold Pinter. In retrospect the “The Bathtub Queen” can be considered as the singularly most influential piece of modern Israeli literature, proving yet again that words can shake the world’s foundations.

CD 1 Remastered Recommend To A Friend

ALBERT BEGER ~ EVOLVING SILENCE VOL.2 EARSAY 091 ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz 7th album (recorded 2005) and a follow up to the previously released part one of these historic sessions by Israeli saxophonist / flautist Albert Beger, recorded in a trio setting with what is commonly accepted as the best Free Jazz rhythm section today: William Parker on bass and Hamid Drake on drums. The very fact that these distinguished musicians agreed to cooperate, perform and record with Beger already proves that they consider him a worthy partner in the Art of making music. The recording is a document of intensity, with superb performances from start to finish both on the emotional and intellectual planes. Beger composed two of the recorded pieces and the other two are spontaneous improvisations / compositions. It is really quite pointless to talk about music of such caliber; all I can do is wholeheartedly recommend it to any true Jazz connoisseur, who is not afraid to make an intellectual effort while listening to music in order to enter the higher planes of the Art. Most warmly recommended!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

ALBERT BEGER ~ EVOLVING SILENCE VOL.1 EARSAY 097 ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz 6th album (recorded 2005) by Israeli saxophonist / flautist Albert Beger recorded in a trio setting with what is commonly accepted as the best Free Jazz rhythm section today: William Parker on bass and Hamid Drake on drums. The very fact that these distinguished musicians agreed to cooperate, perform and record with Beger already proves that they consider him a worthy partner in the Art of making music. The recording is a document of intensity, with superb performances from start to finish both on the emotional and intellectual planes. Beger composed two of the recorded pieces and the other two are spontaneous improvisations / compositions. It is really quite pointless to talk about music of such caliber; all I can do is wholeheartedly recommend it to any true Jazz connoisseur, who is not afraid to make an intellectual effort while listening to music in order to enter the higher planes of the Art. Most warmly recommended!

CD 1 Recommend To A Friend

HAROLD RUBIN ~ IVORY TOWER NOT ON LABEL ~ ISRAEL ~ Jazz Recorded: 2001 Released: 2001 Harold RubinFind albums by this artist not only single-handedly created the improvised music scene in Israel since the early 1990’s, but was also the spiritual father of an entire generation of young Israeli players, who were receptive and open-minded enough to embrace this musical form. Many of the players, who started their way in various trios / quartets led by Harold, became leaders and first-rate musicians in their own right, often returning to play with their mentor years later. This album is an example of such a case, as it brings Harold together with a former member of his group ParparFind albums by this artist (Butterfly in Hebrew), pianist Daniel SaridFind albums by this artist. Sarid took part in the recording of the wonderful meeting between Harold and the Polish saxophonist Leszek ZadloFind albums by this artist (released on JazzisFind albums on this label Records) a decade earlier and this album puts them side by side in the studio again. Of course Daniel refined and advanced his music immensely over the years and this meeting places him alongside Harold not as a student / disciple, but as an equal partner in the creative process. About a year before these sessions were recorded, Daniel recorded an excellent duo / trio album with his partner Hagai FershtmanFind albums by this artist (see their album on EarsayFind albums on this label Records), so it was only natural to have Hagai as the drummer. Young bass player Adam SheflanFind albums by this artist completed the quartet. The music is of course outstanding, as one might expect. Although written by Harold, other quartet members contributed a lot of creative input. There is plenty of wonderful solos and the quartet swings beautifully, even though the music is mostly free spirited and improvised. Harold recites some of his poems (with music in the background), something that has become an integral part of his unique Jazz act. This is a superb album in every respect and my only hope is that as many people can access this heavenly music as humanly possible.

CD-R 1 Recommend To A Friend