Omer Avital - New Song (2014)

New Song features a quintet which Omer Avital has led for many years, and which is a direct descendant of the ensemble with which Avital made a name for himself when he first arrived in New York. However, this current group is imbued with the cultural heritage that the bass player took time exploring in the mid-2000s, when he returned to his homeland to reconnect with his ancestral roots Yemenite on his mother s side and Moroccan on his father s. With Omer Avital, the integration of jazz with the musical traditions of the Arab world is more than just a convenient meeting. It is the fruit of the assimilation of two cultures, an assimilation so strong that New Song resonates with endless colours and rhythms, joyfully combining ritual music with Afro-American grooves, linking the phrasing of Eastern melodies with the fervour of gospel and the expressiveness of soul. From the trance of Gnaouas to the funky warmth of Jazz Messengers, Yemenite songs with the workshop spirit of Charles Mingus, his musicians are at one with him as they effortlessly and joyfully leap from one genre to another.

Tracklist:

01. Hafla
02. New Song
03. Tsafdina
04. Avishkes
05. Sabah El-Kheir (Good Morning)
06. New Middle East
07. Maroc
08. Ballad For A Friend
09. Bedouin Roots
10. Yemen Suite
11. Small Time Shit

Personnel:

Omer Avital - double bass
Avishai Cohen - trumpet
Joel Frahm - tenor saxophone
Yonathan Avishai - piano
Daniel Freedman - drums