Bassist Omer Avital is one of the few who can make vintage modal jazz sound fresh and new, combining the ferver of the 60s with today’s harmonies. He lines up a two sax team of Asaf Yuria/ts-ss and Alexander Levin/ts along with Eden Ladin/p and Ofri Nehemya for eight finger snapping originals.
The two tenors create a La Brea Tarpit texture of thickness on the driving and propulsively dramatic “Shabazi’ while bopping with hipness on “Today’s Blues” and “C’est Clair” carefully guided by Ladin’s rich piano. Ladin is solemn as he leads into Avital’s expressive solo on the Middle Eastern-toned title piece, while Avital opens up the easy swinger “It’s All Good (Late 90s) before letting the horns close things out. The team digs a rivulet on “Bushwick After Dark” as Yuria’s soprano sears through the galloping “Just Like The River Flows”. Bright lights are shining.