As a
celebration of being signed to John Zorn’s record label Tzadik records as well
as recording a brand new album, Jonathan Feldman’s group Zebrina performed an
exhilarating concert to a sold-out audience.
What is amazing is that I have not seen so many people pack the house to
catch a klezmer jazz fusion band that brings creative, inventive jazz at the
forefront with its tight grooves, meticulous composition, and soulful playing
at its best.
The
band for the evening consisted of keyboardist/composer Jonathan Feldman,
bassist Bret Higgins, guitarist Joel Schwartz, Juan Carlos Medrano on
percussion and Max Senitt on drums. The
band was joined by two special guests, consisting of San Francisco-based
clarinetist Ben Goldberg and local Toronto trumpeter David Buchbinder.
All
of the songs performed were written by Jonathan Feldman, and I must say that he
is a composer to watch in new jazz and klezmer music. His music draws influences ranging from
blues, funk, soul and Middle Eastern music, fusing it into an organic sound
that is completely original and completely its own.
I
want to comment on three of my favourite pieces of the evening. “The Spirit Within” is a moody, groovy,
spaced out composition, which is wide open to improvisation and to further, out
explorations with the group. It is one
of my favourite new songs and this should be in the constant live repertoire of
the group. “Breath of Life” has an
intro in which Feldman interpolates everything from Wayne Shorter’s Footprints,
the classic Jewish standard “Hava Nagila”, Thelonious Monk’s “Well You Needn’t”
and Jerome Kern’s “All The Things You Are” before breaking into an explorative
groove. Feldman is a very creative
and fresh voice and thanks to his signing on Tzadik Records he is going to go
places with his intriguing music.
“Chant
of the Ages” is a great Latin inspired tune that brought up special guest David
Buchbinder along with the rest of the working band. It was a great fusion of Latin rhythms and
melodies with Jewish liturgy and practice.
I
have heard this band three times and I must say that thanks to guys like
Feldman jazz music is going further and building new audiences to like its
music. Overall, it was a hugely successful
and powerful night from a great band that is taking off in big and bold ways.
ZEBRINA
OFFICIAL WEB SITE:
http://www.zebrina.org
(Jonathan Feldman)
(Max Senitt)
(David Buchbinder)
(Bret Higgins)