Born in Israel and now living in San Diego, guitarist Meir Shitrit mixes sounds of the West and Mideast on this collection of attractive originals. Supported by a rhythm team of Barak Ben-Zour/dr, Achiya Asher/p and various bass and horn players, Shitrit veers between straightahead to smooth jazz as on “Song of Search” to Central Asian exoticism on “Spirit of India.” He’s got a nice clean touch on the guitar, as he displays over hand percussion on “Shepherd’s Melody” and the danceable “Jaffa Nights.” On acoustic guitar, he delivers a touch of American folk music on the thoughtful “Blue.” Some latin breeze blows in as well on “Waves” and through it all Shitrit’s solos are clear and well conceived, yet full of energy. Nice outing here. Head down to SD and check him out!
www.meirshitrit.bandcamp.com