A young Israeli just beginning to make his imprint on New York’s competitive jazz scene, guitarist and composer Nadav Remez is a grad of both Berklee and the New England Conservatory of Music.
With the help of Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records, he issued his first album, a powerful calling card called So Far. Backed by a quintet that includes fellow Isreali and keyboard wunderkind Shai Maestro, Remez set out to combine the jazz of his formal training, the alt-rock of his generation and the Hebrew folk music of his homeland. Remez counts Brian Blade Fellowship with its unique folk and rock approaches to jazz as an influence for this record, and in actuality, the record sounds even more influenced by Blade than it does by Jewish folk music, most evident in the melodic, buoyant tracks “Pinchas” (video below) and “Untitled.”
But all of Ramez’s compositions are put together thoughtfully and has a soulful center to them. In the midst of all these original, he tossed in an impressive arrangement of the synagogue song “Lecha Dodi” that features guest soloist trumpet player Itamar Borochov. To top it all off, Remez’s warm, full tone emanating from his hollowed-body electric guitar brings out the rich melodies. I think Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records signed on a winner, here.
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