Desert Song

A soothing walk through a multicolored landscape

     

In Hebrew, the word "adama" means "soil", the living part of the earth that makes things grow and thrive. Itamar Erez ("erez" means "land","nation") gives the listener an appreciation for the rich musical environment of the Middle East. Erez' Israeli roots are the foundation for the landscape through which his guitar playing strolls and sometimes crawls. His ablest companion is multi-reed-wind-brass artist Tony Nickels along with bassist Laurence Mollerup and percussionist Stefan Cihelka. While critics might identify the inclusion of a table player as an overt attempt to make a recording sound "ethnic" or "eclectic", Cihelka's accompaniment serves to streamline and ground the desert theme running through these pieces. Clearly, the light percussion and rhythmic elements Cihelka provides allows the group's jazz improvisation to soar and glide. This "Desert Song" does have some moments of dry longing for green places and times, but the wadis of passion in the music make this a memorable journey.