Reflecting On Freedom

The soprano and alto sax extraordinaire Alon Farber is joined by Yehonatan Cohen (tenor sax, flute and clarinet), Oded Meir (trombone), Eden Giat (piano), Assaf Hakimi (bass) and Roy Olie (Drums), as well as a couple of special guests, as they flesh out a very diverse version of jazz that pulls from Latin and middle eastern ideas.

"Israeli Song" starts the listen with Sarai Zak-Levi's gorgeous, wordless singing that is met with Giat's warm keys and Rony Iwryn's playful percussion in the cultured jazz climate, and "Reflecting On Freedom" follows with Hakimi's infectious bass work alongside bright brass as plenty of melody enters the swinging landscape.

In the middle, "Ima (Mother)" benefits from Cohen's dreamy flute as an initially calm setting that builds into a lush, fusion delivery, while "Fresh Start" bounces and shakes with a modern jazz spirit that will be sure to get your body moving to the fascinating sax acrobatics from Farber. "You'll See The Way" then brings Zak-Levi and Iwryn back for the rhythmic album highlight that's poetic amid plenty of worldly influences.

Near the end, "Hammouda" offers a percussively strong and busy affair where the players work together with captivating musicianship, and "Farbalak" exits the listen with no shortage of grooves and timeless jazz flavor that puts a firm exclamation point on the top notch listen.

A very detailed listen that also touches on funk, Moroccan and Brazilian sounds, Farber's Israeli jazz formula finds a unique place to reside, and certainly deserves repeated listens for any and all fans of global jazz.