Andarta in Bloomington, MN

Two Israeli expatriates who stumbled upon one another on the New York jazz scene, pianist
Roy Assaf
and bassist
Eddy Khaimovich
put together a debut that capitalizes on the theme of modernization, updating not only classic compositions with new arrangements and reworkings, but updating the stylings of classic players through the quartet's stylings. The album opens with a groove-heavy rendition of
Cole Porter
's
"All of You,"
also unveiling the quartet's secret weapon: guest soloing courtesy of
Roy Hargrove
on a handful of tracks.
Assaf
makes some
Keith Jarrett
-style solo moves and
Khaimovich
pumps out the first of many bass solos beyond the standard for quartet recordings.
Hargrove
takes the stage somewhat more fully in
"You Don't Know What Love Is,"
though simplifying the solos a bit.
"Stuv"
shows off
's composition skills with a more contemplative feel and a cooler mood. Not to be outdone,
contributes his first original to the record with
"On the Way,"
making use of
and sax player
Robin Verheyen
in tandem for some jumping lines in the vein of
Coltrane
and
Weather Report
. Trading compositions back and forth, this combination becomes apparent again, with
contributing easier going, more emotive pieces (though featuring at least one higher-energy sax solo in
"The Saga of Imaba"
) and
using phrasing and a strong playing approach to infuse a little more drama and power into his ballad than might be expected from a simple waltz. The album closes with a more sweeping piece, a dramatic tune with charging chords courtesy of
and stunning soloing courtesy of
Verheyen
that makes the rest of the album seem a little pale in retrospect. All of the elements of the quartet come together in full force to close out the album, meshing together as a proper modern jazz quartet.
Andarta
doesn't plow headlong into new territory, but carries the traditions forward a bit, introducing them to fertile grounds of innovation. ~ Adam Greenberg