The music of Amsterdam-based pianist and composer Avishai Darash is part jazz, part north African rhythms and (according to his bio) Israeli folk. I listen to it and I hear something similar to the musical make up of Britain’s GoGo Penguin. Concept-wise, the album is a direct response to the current situation in the Middle East but you might not guess it from the music, which sometimes reminds of comfortable Dave Grusin cool.
There are clean, intricate piano riffs, strong compositional skills and instincts, and fast and busy drum patterns; it often borders on electronic dance music. The bass is slightly low in the mix, but the trumpet offers a nice focal point and acts as an emotional voice in both lyrical and modal bop mode. The Old Days is a composition that jumped out from the initial listen, its drums and piano almost working against each other but together offering something interesting for the listener.
To me this is more concert-hall jazz than the stuff that plays out in the bustling clubs and bars of Europe and so I find myself slightly on the fence as to whether I like it. The parts are all there and the band are very good, but it feels slightly light to me where some aggression or bravery would offer variation. But saying that, I seem to be happy enough listening to it. I’ve heard the album three or four times now and it doesn’t make me reach for the stop button.
Discography
Between Hope And Despair; Supernova; Don’t Think Dance; The Seventh; Bastika; Echo Chamber; The Old Days; The Sage; Midnight Express (37.47)
Darash (p, kyb); Antonio Moreno Glazkov (t); Ian Ruiz Machado (elb); Shayan Fathi (d). Madrid, 2024.
avidarash.com
