TALINKA
Fanfare FJ1701
Tali Atzmon - vocals; Jenny Bliss Bennet - viola da gambe, violin, flute, vocals; Gilad Atzmon - bass clarinet, soprano sax, accordion; Yaron Stavi - bass; Frank Harrison - piano; Enzo Zirilli - percussion
This is billed as ‘a music loving adventure’ on the sleeve, and it certainly lives up to that description as well as any other. Tali Atzmon is an Israeli actress and singer, and Jenny Bliss is a Baroque music specialist; together they front a band whose other members are drawn from various incarnations of the Orient House Ensemble, led by another Atzmon with whom UK jazz audiences are already very familiar, the incendiary reedsman Gilad.
The mood throughout is intense, downtempo, hushed and meditative, and the contributions of the different musicians’ highly diverse disciplines blend effectively on Atzmon’s original compositions, with Gilad’s broad vibrato evoking the rich culture of the Levant in fascinating contrast to Bennet’s restrained, decidedly European contributions. ‘Don’t Explain’ is given a straight ballad reading, with Atzmon’s accented english conjuring a vision of cafe society over Harrison and Stavi’s flawlessly sensitive accompaniment; ‘Invitation’’s exotic melody is worked into a middle eastern tango hybrid, and ‘Four 2 Tango’ adds plaintive accordion and freaky vocalisations to the mix to eerie effect.
Gilad Atzmon is known as a powerful and prolix improvisor, but his contributions here are restrained and nicely judged to enhance the unusual blend - Stavi gives a lesson in solid and sensitive support, and Harrison’s piano is a delight as always. ‘You Don’t Know What Love Is’ sounds almost Teutonically stern; original ‘When You’re Gone’ adds an affectingly simple, attractively naive freshness by way of contrast, captured by a clear and warm recording by Ben Lamdin.
There could have been space for more contributions from Bennet, as the overall impression is decidedly heavier on the jazz/chanson side that on the Baroque - it will be intriguing to see how the sound develops if this powerfully atmospheric, unusual recording generates the attention it richly deserves and leads to a follow-up.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
Fanfare FJ1701
Tali Atzmon - vocals; Jenny Bliss Bennet - viola da gambe, violin, flute, vocals; Gilad Atzmon - bass clarinet, soprano sax, accordion; Yaron Stavi - bass; Frank Harrison - piano; Enzo Zirilli - percussion
This is billed as ‘a music loving adventure’ on the sleeve, and it certainly lives up to that description as well as any other. Tali Atzmon is an Israeli actress and singer, and Jenny Bliss is a Baroque music specialist; together they front a band whose other members are drawn from various incarnations of the Orient House Ensemble, led by another Atzmon with whom UK jazz audiences are already very familiar, the incendiary reedsman Gilad.
The mood throughout is intense, downtempo, hushed and meditative, and the contributions of the different musicians’ highly diverse disciplines blend effectively on Atzmon’s original compositions, with Gilad’s broad vibrato evoking the rich culture of the Levant in fascinating contrast to Bennet’s restrained, decidedly European contributions. ‘Don’t Explain’ is given a straight ballad reading, with Atzmon’s accented english conjuring a vision of cafe society over Harrison and Stavi’s flawlessly sensitive accompaniment; ‘Invitation’’s exotic melody is worked into a middle eastern tango hybrid, and ‘Four 2 Tango’ adds plaintive accordion and freaky vocalisations to the mix to eerie effect.
Gilad Atzmon is known as a powerful and prolix improvisor, but his contributions here are restrained and nicely judged to enhance the unusual blend - Stavi gives a lesson in solid and sensitive support, and Harrison’s piano is a delight as always. ‘You Don’t Know What Love Is’ sounds almost Teutonically stern; original ‘When You’re Gone’ adds an affectingly simple, attractively naive freshness by way of contrast, captured by a clear and warm recording by Ben Lamdin.
There could have been space for more contributions from Bennet, as the overall impression is decidedly heavier on the jazz/chanson side that on the Baroque - it will be intriguing to see how the sound develops if this powerfully atmospheric, unusual recording generates the attention it richly deserves and leads to a follow-up.
Reviewed by Eddie Myer
