Tzadik
2005
Edom
About This Album
Israeli born electric guitarist Eyal Maoz offers a slice of music from John Zorn's Radical Jewish Culture sub-genre of the Tzadik label from the jazz fusion side of things on this, his debut recording. It is at once retro and contemporary, borrowing from organ-fired groups such as the Tony Wiliams Lifetime, Santana or the Mahavishnu Orchestra, with a healthy element of traditional and Yiddish dance elements heaped on. Organist John Medeski is a major player in Mayoz's ethos, as his poignant, biting and sometimes soaring B-3 plays an important role in keeping the music upbeat and hopping. Drummer Ben Perowsky and bassist Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz keep up with tricky rhythm changes, stop-starts and buoyant melodies so much as part of Jewish musics, as well as the funk and rock of contemporary modern times. Mayoz himself is oft times amazing in his ability to blaze trails, punctuate hip or poignant phrases, and bears little resemblance to any of his alleged influences or peer group. The drama of the Lifetime band shows in full force during "Hope & Destruction" which swings in its own way, the hard edged, funky, bold and psychedelic "Big" which owes equal allegiance to John McLaughlin (he was involved with all three of the aforementioned groups), and to a certain extent "Innocence" where Medeski pays a sidereal and strutting homage to Lifetime's organist Larry Young. "Chita" is clearly Jewish rock music with a driving beat and the surf guitar of Maoz, "Strength" is a gargantuan, impending plod rocker, and in 13/8 time "Lost" is the hippest and heaviest of the lot, with Medeski stepping up in conception and execution. There's one piece that stands out from the rest, as "Deep" is a loosely associated free and bizarre piece morphed into dark incursions and mysterious means. As an introductory project, Maoz shows great promise and the quartet plays at a high level. There remains a feeling that he's leaving us wanting for so much more beyond whatever formula this CD offers. ~ Michael G. Nastos, All Music Guide
Track List (try tracks 1,2 and 4)

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