Noam Lemish wears several hats as a pianist, composer and bandleader, just as he’s juggled different nationalities and cultures living in Israel, U.S. and lately, Canada. But he’s more than managed on both fronts, and his upcoming album Twelve reflects the multi-culturalism instilled inside him.
The numerical title primarily means the size of the band he used for this set of recordings; it’s also how long he’s been in Toronto, plenty long enough to get established and collect a talented bunch of musicians (some of them JUNO winners) for this orchestra-sized band.
The songs throughout Twelve reveal Lemish’s diverse influences and creativity; there are some Eastern European Jewish flourishes but he has figured out how to integrate it imperceptibly into Western music forms.
The song premiering in the video above, “Rebirth,” is a testament to Noam Lemish’s attention to detail. A through-composed piece like the other songs, throwing off so many great thoughtful motifs and other memorable moments, giving everyone a feature that never feels forced. A hat tip also goes out to Terry Promane – the musical director doing the conducting in the video – whose help in giving “Rebirth” and the other selections exemplary arrangements makes these complex pieces flow forth naturally.
Twelve will be released everywhere on Friday, October 21st 2022 from TPR Records.
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- Vazesh [Lloyd Swanton, Jeremy Rose + Hamed Sadeghi] – ‘Tapestry’ (2024) - November 12, 2024
- Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock + Paul Motian – ‘The Old Country’ (1992; 2024 release) - November 7, 2024
