Hommage
Itamar Erez
After a solidly successful CD like Desert Song, most composer / performers would take some time off to bask in the glory, but not Itamar Erez. It seems that he found the whole project so stimulating that he just kept working at refining his craft and exploring new avenues of expression. The result is his stunning new CD Hommage.
From the opening notes of the first track Anouar (intro) I was struck by the sense that Itamar Erez has found a stronger confidence in his abilities and a mastery of composition that has allowed him to make a personal statement that few composers twice his age could achieve. All of the influences that made Desert Song such a wonderful CD are still there, but here they seem even more personal as Mr. Erez blends them with some marvellous jazz elements to create a unique style that lovers of any of these traditions will find irresistible.
Itamar Erez shows the same maturing of confidence and ability in his playing, both guitar and piano, and his joy in making music seems palpable throughout the album. I also need to credit the Adama Ensemble for their terrific performances - it must be no easy feat to keep up with a talent like Mr. Erez!
Anouar (intro) leads directly into Anouar. (I assume that both of these pieces are references to the great oud player Anouar Brahem.) While the intro sets up a middle eastern soundscape Anouar carries the piece into a jazz groove that rises to a driving intensity before subsiding into a more introspective mood. Itamar Erez has a particular talent for reconciling such polar moods seamlessly. Yoram Lachish's English Horn on this one is sensational.
The Promise begins with Mr. Erez on piano, pulsing out big chords that call on the entire ensemble to join in. This upbeat tune goes through some very cool rhythmic shifts and turns made all the more interesting by the percussion of special guest Shlomo Deshet. Mellow but never dull.
Omar'a is dedicated to Omar Faruk Tekbilek (Omar'a is Turkish for "to Omar"), who also plays ney on this tune. The ney (or nai) is one of the oldest known instruments, with some pictured in the Egyptian pyramids and others found in archeological excavations as early as Ur. It is a type of wooden end-blown flute, as opposed to the the transverse metal flutes in modern Western music. The ney has a breathy tone and is capable of amazing note bending from micro-tones to a whole tone. This track is a tour de force - a real standout on the CD. Omar Faruk Tekbilek is a virtuoso on the ney and everyone seems to rise to the opportunity to play with such a master. Itamar Erez provides a wonderful opening guitar solo that gradually introduces his quarter-tone fretlets into the music as the ney floats into the mix. The dialogue between guitar and ney is outstanding in this piece with both performers having plenty of opportunity and latitude to fly. Just a fantastic musical experience!
Shifting gears entirely, Choro for Lulo is a joyous guitar solo dedicated to fiery guitarist Lulo Reinhardt with whom Itamar has toured extensively. Itamar's fingers seem to dance over the frets as he lets loose with cascades of notes mixed with swinging chordal passages. This one is a tribute to both guitarists.
Intense begins with open arpeggios on the piano with splashes of colour from the percussion. This track grows very slowly up a notch, then back a bit, then a bit further to an understated intensity rather than a frenzy. This is intensity with a clear goal in sight, and in that way it sums up the CD perfectly.
Prisoner's Song is dedicated to Vincente Amigo, and I assume that the dedicatee is the brilliant flamenco guitarist of that name. This has all the flamenco fire that you could hope for along with the searingly soulful singing of Yehuda Shuky Shveiky. Shlomo Deshet really dials the percussion up a notch on on this one, and Itamar is particularly fine showing his flamenco chops. It sounds like they had to fade the ending just to get these guys to end the song - it blazes right up to the last almost inaudible sound! That is passion.
Once again Itamar Erez changes things up with a guitar solo, this time the introspective Belonging. The almost folk-like character is joined by classical tremolandos before sliding into some jazzier territory. This track feels like a journey where the guitarist is constantly discovering new territory while staying true to his original ideas. A truly original guitar piece.
The title piece Hommage is dedicated to the prolific Brazilian composer Egberto Gismonti, one of Itamar's musical heroes. Itamar begins with an intense Brazilian-flavoured guitar solo that soon draws in the whole band. There are some beautiful passages shared by guitar and Yorai Oron's acoustic bass before things slow down for yet another gorgeous melody from Yoram Lachish's oboe. Dani Benedikt's drums are outstanding on this one, and Shlomo Deshet blends his great percussion perfectly. The oboe just seems to take off in the middle of the piece before floating softly to the ground and giving Yorai Oron the opportunity for his big solo, and he makes the most of it. His melodious bass playing echoes the oboe with some high register slides incorporated smoothly into the satiny texture. Then we have the whole band back for a memorable ending. Another standout track.
Itamar Erez ends the set with another solo guitar piece: Nocturne. This night music moves through several moods from contemplative to almost frenetic and back again. At several points a cascade of harmonics settles things down and leads us to new territory. In all, just a beautiful way to end a masterful work.
Itamar Erez has already proven himself a gifted performer and composer, and Hommage demonstrates his enormous growth artistically. It is a rare artist who saves his best work for a hommage to a mentor, hero, or friend but Mr. Erez does so repeatedly and with first class results. This album will make Itamar Erez a lot of friends around the world, just as it will delight those who have already discovered him.
You can buy this great CD directly from Itamar's web site: itamarerez.com