This album is a treat. Straight jazz shuffle imbued with a significant influence of middle eastern themes courtesy of pianist Roy Mor’s original homeland. The album consists of 12 Jazz tracks that weave a personal tale and stand as separate musical statements. I get the impression that the musicians have enjoyed themselves immensely and likely stayed behind to sharpen this and discover that way after the studio guys went home. Full of innovative notes, but highly accessible, this is a great album to introduce anybody that never got the jazz thing, to the jazz thing.
Roy Mor’s phrasing is reminiscent of Ahamed Jamal’s lyrical playing, the blues laden verve of Jessica Williams and in places the sound of Lennie Tristano. The first track is a lovely meditation and a rendition of an Israeli song, using solos from oud, piano and bass to seamlessly combine Mediterranean-eastern sound with gentle jazz verging on a bossa nova. It’s followed by a blues jazz track that carries the album title, and just when listeners have eased into their chairs anticipating more jazz Jerusalem Mezcla comes along with Yemenite, Moroccan and African rhythms and yet again highlighting the immense depth of talent from musicians gathered for this album, they are Amos Hoffman (oud), Avishai Cohen (trumpet), Devy Lazar (flugelhorn), Myles Sloniker, Martin Kenney, Joel Kruzic (bass) and Itay Morchi, Peter Traunmueller and Jeremy Dutton on drums.
Nearness of You, the last track, is a piano solo recorded live. The recording is good, placing instruments correctly in space and avoiding the wide-piano syndrome of many a jazz albums. This is a truly lovely album, very highly recommended for jazznicks as well as gentle folks who have hitherto found the jazz thing a little too challenging.
Reuben Klein