It seems that every where I turn, jazz trios of piano/bass/drums seem to be all over the place. Is it due to economics? Size of stages? Poorly made reeds? I’m not sure why, but this seems to be an era when the major sounds seem to be emitted by this intimate combo, with styles ranging from Mehldau to The Bad Plus to Jarrett, and now we’ve got young guns from Israel like this one that bring a whole new dimension to the genre.
Sabra Tamir Miler fronts a team with Roy Olief/dr and Gilad Ephrat/b and he hits the ground running with this fantastically impressive and original Baker’s Decalogue of tunes. Miler’s got a touch and deliver that his fresh, light and gracious; you can feel the joy in his caress of the keys. The straightahead pieces like “Jordan Valley” and “Passion Fruit” display creative interplay as well as well structured themes that holistically meld the theme with interwoven solos. One of the exciting highlights is the cantor-like bowed bow intro by Ephrat on “ Overture” that seques into an exciting and wondrous sonic journey that is akin to walking by various souks in an open market. The drama portrayed in “Destination” is a creative tour of musical directions, while the title track spotlights Miler’s gracious touch. We gotta get this guy’s band on the Best Coast; you’re gonna be impressed!