An impressive showing...
Saxophonist Idit Shner is the embodiment of a modern jazz musician: both forward looking and steeped in tradition; simultaneously international, local and personal. Her new recording Tuesday's Blues displays all those qualities and more. Five of the compositions here derive from music (ancient, modern, sacred, secular) that Shner heard growing up in Israel. All have personal meaning for her, and all have been melodically, rhythmically and harmonically transformed by her, in the best tradition of jazz. Featuring pianist Stefan Karlsson, bassist Mike League, and drummer Steve Pruitt.
1 Yellow Moon 6:56
2 Elisheva Doll 3:43
3 Tuesday's Blues 6:56
4 Adon Haselichot 10:39
5 The Peacocks 8:56
6 Ha Lachma 6:44
7 Lamidbar 3:11
(1,2,4,6): Traditional
(3) by Idit Shner
(5) by Jimmy Rowles
(7) by Naomi Shemer
Idit Shner - saxophone
Stefan Karlsson - piano
Mike League - bass
Steve Pruitt - drums
Produced by Idit Shner
Recorded May 12th and 13th, 2008
at Panhandle Studios, Denton, TX
Recording Engineer: Erik Herbst
Mastered by Charlie Pilzer
at Airshow Mastering, Springfield, VA
Original artwork by Valisa Higman, www.valisahigman.com
Cover design by John Bishop
All Music Guide (Adam Greenberg)
An outstanding debut from Israeli-cum-Texan-cum-Oregonian sax player Idit Shner, Tuesday's Blues showcases her take on jazz as a catalyst for innovation on beloved pieces. The majority of the compositions are traditional Israeli works of various stripes, all reworked heavily to embrace the post-bop aesthetic with modern touches -- given enough room ...
Jazzscene, October 2008 (George Fendel)
Born and raised in Israel, Idit Shner earned her Doctoral degree at North Texas State and in 2005, somehow landed at the University of Oregon as instructor of saxophone performance. on this album, she leads a quartet on mostly original tunes. I especially liked her title tune, a streaky, challenging, "Tuesday's Blues," and an inspired performance o ...
Jazz Review (Thomas R. Erdmann)
Saxophonist and composer Idit Shner, who grew up in Israel, joined the faculty of the University of Oregon as Instructor of Saxophone and Jazz Studies in 2006. Her education includes a Bachelor of Music degree from Oklahoma City University, a Masters degree in Music Education from University of Central Oklahoma, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree ...
e.music.com (Matt Cibula)
Listen to this debut album from Israeli saxophonist Idit Shner and one thing leaps out at you: the muscularity. Shner's tone is strong and confident, whether she is stating a melody or busting out alone. On "Yellow Moon," the opener, her solo is more of an announcement ?I HAVE ARRIVED! ?recalling prime Michael Brecker or Maceo Parker. The impressio ...
All About Jazz.com (C. Michael Bailey)
Dr. Idit Shner is a smart one. Currently instructor of saxophone and Jazz Studies at the University of Oregon, Shner was awarded her doctorate in saxophone performance within jazz studies from North Texas State after studying at the University of Central Oklahoma and Oklahoma City University. Coming from those friendly confines, one might assume Sh ...
JazzTimes (Bill Milkowski)
Israeli-born saxophonist Idit Shner brings something from her roots to this ambitious and highly personal quartet recording. While reinventing traditional Jewish numbers like "Ha Lachma," the playful lullaby "Elisheva Doll" and the meditative Yom Kippur prayer "Adon Haselichot," she also interprets Jimmy Rowles' hauntingly beautiful ballad "The P ...
The Davis Enterprise (Ric Bang)
The tone that Shner gets on her alto sax is quite different from other jazz artists; she usues almost no vibrato, probably a result of her extensive experience with classical orchestras. Her technique is flawless at any tempo, and her back-up group - Stefan Karlsson (piano), Mike League (bass) and Steve Pruitt (drums) - is great.
But the combina ...
WYCE Radio (Corey Jones)
IDIT SHNER - TUESDAY?S BLUES Idit Shner (tenor sax) release of ?Tuesday's Blues is a must have for any jazz lover, it's a tale of nursery rhymes and ancient melodies from the Jewish liturgy in a jazz setting. The album starts off from track one (Yellow Moon) with an upbeat groove that from the first note you get the feeling Idit Shner and band mate ...