Oct 26 2018
Recommended: Omer Avital – “Qantar”
The music of Omer Avital is so damn joyful. It hits me square in the heart, a mainline of happiness that won’t let me sit still. Like it’s too much to contain. Like I want to share it. The bassist’s latest recording sees him with a new line-up, and the change manifests in the motion. Qantar is meant for dance. It has an effortless flow that scoops up everything in its path and carries it along for the ride. Like you. And me. This is true when the quintet slows things down a bit on “Beauty and the Beast” and it is also true when the intensity spikes on “Immigration.” Most tracks, however, keep to a brisk and even pace, where the thrill of speed doesn’t disturb the casual flow of things, as if Avital isn’t in a hurry for any of these tunes to end.
Qantar falls in line with past recordings. It’s calmer than Suite of the East and Free Forever, but doesn’t shortchange when it comes to those recordings’ boisterous attitude. “Turkish Coffee Blue” edges closest to those extraordinary recordings with its moody intensity and an omnipresent melody, but even in this instance, the quintet guide the song into territory where introspection isn’t on the menu. Nor should it be.
How is there not a law requiring Avital to record something new every year? That seems like a gimme.
Your album personnel: Omer Avital (bass), Eden Ladin (piano, keyboards), Ofri Nehemya (drums), Alexander Levin (tenor sax) and Asaf Yuria (soprano & tenor saxophones).
Released on Zamzama Records.
Listen to more of the album on the artist’s Bandcamp page.
Music from NYC.
For me personally, it’s kind of jarring to be reminded that the 
Even when it goes wandering far and wide, the music of autotelic possesses a directness that brings the journey right to the listener rather than insisting on a chase to go after it. Opening track “#6” gets right to the heart of this quality with its jaunty cadence and a melodic development that behaves like a hiking trail shaped by frequent spurs and cutbacks. It’s a quality that holds steady even on pieces like “#5” where the melody is more a concept that’s carried away by a swirling autumn breeze. The immediacy of the music keeps things focused and coherent. This effect gets ramped up even higher when guests sit in with the duo. This is especially true when one (or more) slip into a rhythmic frame of mind, giving greater definition to motion that already is pretty clearly spelled out.
This album just sings with life. Its enthusiasm is infectious and it’s hard not to feed off its energy. This live performance is part rendition, part homage. Half of the pieces that comprise Far East Trip are re-arrangements of Duke Elliington’s “Far East Suite,” whereas the other pieces, all originals, are
Oct 27 2018
Christian McBride is hitting Lexington this Sunday and so should you
It would be a pretty good idea to be in Lexington, KY on Sunday night. One of the very best bassists on the planet is gonna be in town for an October 28th show at the Lyric Theatre. In support of his new album Christian McBride’s New Jawn, Christian McBride brings his quartet to town, featuring trumpeter Josh Evans, drummer Nasheet Waits and saxophonist Marcus Strickland. What you can expect is that potent mix of Hard Bop locomotion and warmth, where some hard charging swing is hospitable to lovely sighs of melody. McBride’s music, however, isn’t simply an echo from the past… modern post-bop and contemporary music qualities emerge throughout. He’s also an essential part of the modern jazz scene, via his small groups and big bands, his collaborations with NPR, WBGO and Jazz at Lincoln Center.
This show is part of the Origins Jazz Series, which has been bringing some intriguing shows to the Lexington scene.
Here’s a track off McBride’s new release Christian McBride’s New Jawn (released on Brother Mister Productions, a new imprint of Mack Avenue Music). We have no way of knowing what any one live show will ultimately sound like, but here’s a sense of what’s what:
You can scoop that album up at Amazon or, I imagine, buy something at the merch table after the show.
The show details:
When: Sunday, October 28th, 2018 at 7:30pm
Where: Lyric Theatre, 300 E. Third, Lexington, KY.
Tickets are $25.
The Lyric Theatre’s site-> LINK
The artist’s site-> LINK
Learn more about the Origins Jazz Series-> LINK
And here’s a video of their performance at the 2018 Malta Jazz Festival…
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By davesumner • Live Jazz • 0 • Tags: Jazz in Kentucky