Atzmon: Give Jazz a Chance

By Ariadna Theokopoulos

http://www.boldfacenews.com

Stick with Atzmon: He’ll Take You Places!

Atzmon’s newest release, Songs of the Metropolis, is a must in any jazz lover’s collection. “Multireedsman” but primarily a superb saxophone player, Atzmon has produced a bouquet of homages to some of the greatest cities of the world, their music and their culture.
Stick with Atzmon, he’ll take you places! Places like Paris, Tell Aviv, Buenos Aires, Vienna, Manhattan, Moscow, “Somewhere in Italy,” Berlin and yes, Scarborough too.

Atzmon’s “Paris” is sweet and flavorful as a madeleine, without being maudlin. It is the love story between a tender yet confident sax and a lovingly attentive and crystalline piano (Frank Harrison). It is a madeleine that makes the search for “lost time” a worthwhile endeavor. The sax finale has the long finish of the best, properly aged French wine.
“Tel Aviv”’s staccato with brief, subtle allusions to oriental tones pulls off the remarkable evocation of declarative purpose and oneiric longing, to which the percussion accompaniment (Eddie Hicks) adds a sabra robustness.

“Buenos Aires” is a haunting piece, like a somber milonga danced late at night somewhere in La Boca while the waiters are already putting he chairs up on the tables. The sad, tuneful refrain makes you want to add lyrics to it. “Porqué me haces eso? Porqué a mi?” would fit.

“Vienna” is dainty and refined, intricate and pretty like a lace ball gown twirled in an elegant waltz. Great piano and percussion weaving, through which the sax erupts with gentle precision.
“Manhattan” moves in a way that reminds you why the phrase “a New York minute” was invented. The saxophone brackets the rhythm changes and describes the mood” confident, ebullient and climbing steadily with no pause for doubts.

“Moscow” is ample and deep, quiet and massive, pensive and slow “as the Don flows” and a beautifully melodious tribute.

“Somewhere in Italy” starts with a whisper: the sax describes the wind through the tall and graceful cypresses and pine trees drawn on an impossibly blue sky, a landscape adorned by beautifully ruined aqueducts. The sax also asks questions and answers them tenderly while the piano echoes them.
“Berlin” is perhaps a roaring 20s beer garden or a nightclub in the early 30s or both, where you drank “Bruderschaft” and where, “all together, ladies and gentlemen,” you swayed and sang, happy to be there, still happy to be German.

If you love jazz you will love this release of a superlative quality. If you love the music of the world in its individual uniqueness and diversity, and not the pasteurized kitsch of “multiculturalism,” you will love this even more and you will resonate to Atzmon’s worldview as a philosopher of culture, which he summarizes in the interview his wife skillfully coaxed out of him in this beautiful short film.

Highly recommended.

Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

http://www.boldfacenews.com

Stick with Atzmon: He’ll Take You Places!

Atzmon’s newest release, Songs of the Metropolis, is a must in any jazz lover’s collection. “Multireedsman” but primarily a superb saxophone player, Atzmon has produced a bouquet of homages to some of the greatest cities of the world, their music and their culture.
Stick with Atzmon, he’ll take you places! Places like Paris, Tell Aviv, Buenos Aires, Vienna, Manhattan, Moscow, “Somewhere in Italy,” Berlin and yes, Scarborough too.

Atzmon’s “Paris” is sweet and flavorful as a madeleine, without being maudlin. It is the love story between a tender yet confident sax and a lovingly attentive and crystalline piano (Frank Harrison). It is a madeleine that makes the search for “lost time” a worthwhile endeavor. The sax finale has the long finish of the best, properly aged French wine.
“Tel Aviv”’s staccato with brief, subtle allusions to oriental tones pulls off the remarkable evocation of declarative purpose and oneiric longing, to which the percussion accompaniment (Eddie Hicks) adds a sabra robustness.

“Buenos Aires” is a haunting piece, like a somber milonga danced late at night somewhere in La Boca while the waiters are already putting he chairs up on the tables. The sad, tuneful refrain makes you want to add lyrics to it. “Porqué me haces eso? Porqué a mi?” would fit.

“Vienna” is dainty and refined, intricate and pretty like a lace ball gown twirled in an elegant waltz. Great piano and percussion weaving, through which the sax erupts with gentle precision.
“Manhattan” moves in a way that reminds you why the phrase “a New York minute” was invented. The saxophone brackets the rhythm changes and describes the mood” confident, ebullient and climbing steadily with no pause for doubts.

“Moscow” is ample and deep, quiet and massive, pensive and slow “as the Don flows” and a beautifully melodious tribute.

“Somewhere in Italy” starts with a whisper: the sax describes the wind through the tall and graceful cypresses and pine trees drawn on an impossibly blue sky, a landscape adorned by beautifully ruined aqueducts. The sax also asks questions and answers them tenderly while the piano echoes them.
“Berlin” is perhaps a roaring 20s beer garden or a nightclub in the early 30s or both, where you drank “Bruderschaft” and where, “all together, ladies and gentlemen,” you swayed and sang, happy to be there, still happy to be German.

If you love jazz you will love this release of a superlative quality. If you love the music of the world in its individual uniqueness and diversity, and not the pasteurized kitsch of “multiculturalism,” you will love this even more and you will resonate to Atzmon’s worldview as a philosopher of culture, which he summarizes in the interview his wife skillfully coaxed out of him in this beautiful short film.

Highly recommended.

Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

BBC Music Magazine's Album Review (4 Srars)

http://www.classical-music.com/

With this collection of lithe, witty compositions, Atzmon pays tribute to some great world cities, including 'Berlin', 'New York', his birthplace 'Tel Aviv' and, er, 'Scarborough',
which provides the pre text for an epic, mood-shif(ing re-tread of 'Scarborough Fair', Although the Orient House Ensemble is on superb form, some of Atzmon's  fans may
feel initial disappointment at the restrained surface of some tracks. Several albums and numerous gigs have accustomed us to fiery, edgy, often confrontational work, but he has indicated that this angry turbulence had in fact become a comfort zone, so he felt the need to move into new territory. 'Paris' provides a slightly schmaltzy opening, but Atzmon's sumptuous chalumeau clarinet tone is a delight. A nod to Sidney Bechet via Acker Bilk, perhaps, and the funky, rhythmically-sophisticated 'Tel Aviv' demonstrates that Anmon's soprano sound is also one of the most satisfying since Bechet.
Barry Witherden BBC Music Magazine April 2013
PERFORMANCE 4 STARS
RECORDING 4 STARS

Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

R2 Magazine Album Review (4 Stars)

http://www.rock-n-reel.co.uk/

“An interesting collection of locations inspires this album of musical evocations. Gilad Atzmon is in a reflective mood as he melodically recreates not only Paris and other cities, like Buenos Aires, Moscow, Tel Aviv and Berlin, but also such towns as Scarborough and, possibly, a more rural 'Somewhere In Italy'; certainly the work seems more pastoral than the others and even has Eric Dolphy-like bird song from the sax.

For this recording, Alzmon plays alto and soprano saxophones and, sometimes, clarinet and accordion. Frank Harrison offers extremely sympathetic support on piano and a variety of keyboards, Yaron Stavi the robust double bass and Eddie Hick percussively drums his way around each urban landscape. Rather than trying to instrumentally re-create actual street sounds, as Charles Mingus did in his famous New York Sketchbook, Atzmon opts for an altogether more impressionistic approach. There is a Christopher Isherwood, Cabaret-like feel to 'Berlin' complete with vocal chorus by Atzmon, Stavi and Hicks, while 'Buenos Aires' is a powerful, slow and atmospheric piece containing some of the album's finest playing.”

John Crosby R2 magazine 4 STARS

Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com

Record Collector's review - Songs Of the Metropolis (4 stars)

Also top-drawer is Songs Of The Metropolis (****World Village) by GILAD ATZMON & THE

ORIENT HOUSE ENSEMBLE.

Together with his superbly intuitive band, the well-travelled, hard-gigging Atzmon – an Israeli-born multireedsman who seamlessly marries bop with Middle Eastern music – has etched nine vividly evocative portraits of cities and towns, ranging from Manhattan and Buenos Aires to… Scarborough. Whether he’s blowing up a storm of notes or gently caressing a ballad, there’s a luminous vitality at the heart of Atzmon’s playing that’s irresistible to the ear.

 

Evening Standard's Album Review (4 Stars)

http://www.standard.co.uk/l

GILAD ATZMON & THE ORIENT HOUSE ENSEMBLE
Songs  of the Metropolis
(World Village)
****
The fiery Israeli who hit London with a jazz-and-politics double whammy in  2000 has mellowed into a souvenir-collecting world traveller. Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Moscow and Manhattan are among his new titles here, each appropriately seasoned with local flavourings which add accordion, soprano sax and clarinet to the leader’s meaty alto saxophone. Buenos Aires, Tel Aviv, Scarborough Fair and even Somewhere in Italy also make the cut, but surprisingly not Cricklewood Broadway. Faithful Frank Harrison adds lyrical flourishes from the piano and the whole dish is  heated by Yaron Stavi’s mellow bass and the sizzling drums of rookie Orienteer Eddie Hick. Their album-launch UK tour calls at the Pizza Express Jazz Club in Dean Street tonight and tomorrow.
JACK MASSARIK