Just when it was beginning to seem that the latest spate of government pandemic-induced restrictions might bring the curtain down – even just temporarily – on all forms of cultural pursuit here, the folks at the Harash 4 jazz club in Tel Aviv came up with a five-day rollout of shows (August 24-28).
The inaugural – hopefully there’ll be more where this lot came from in years to come – program features a varified lineup from across the local jazz scene, from evergreen octogenarian reedman Albert Piamenta through to seasoned ever-smiling drummer Shay Zelman, internationally renowned pianist Anat Fort and some younger members of the community, including singer Sarah Kazado and pianist-vocalist Deborah Dery.
This week’s festival covers plenty of stylistic ground, too, with Fort teaming up with old sparring partner, Ethiopian-born saxophonist-vocalist Abate Berihun in what promises to be something of a magical mystery tour through mainstream jazz, bluesy domains and some left-leaning areas, too.
Piamenta’s confluence with Kazado also looks intriguing with almost six decades of living separating the protagonists’ ages.
Piamenta has been one of the pillars of the Israeli jazz scene since 1959, as well as making frequent forays into more ethnic climes and other areas of the entertainment industry.
The festivalgoers will get their fair share of Latin and Latinesque sounds and rhythms across the five dayer, with the likes of Argentinean-born pianist Gabriel Palatchi in there, who spices up his genetic musical baggage with some funky stuff and scores from this geographical-cultural neck of the woods.
Meanwhile, clarinetist Kobi Salomon and his quartet will doff their collective derby in the direction of legendary clarinet player Benny Goodman, who was known in the 1930s as the King of Swing.
Salomon will be joined onstage by guitarist Hezi Hayat, double bass player Mickey Vershai and the aforementioned cheery Zelman behind the drumset.
There will be more in the way of Latin-leaning offerings at pianist Gilad Chatsav’s gig, as his trio – with Amit Geller on bass and experienced drummer Noam David – work their way through original charts and Brazilian numbers.
The mood should shift even further Latin-wise when guest artist Dan Ben Lior adds his rich Spanish guitar palette, complete with heady flamenco riffs, to the gig.
Other slots to watch out for include veteran pianist Ari Erev’s threesome, with Zelman reappearing here, too, with a mix of jazz standards and Latin jazz scores. Cultured vocalist Deborah Benasouli will team up with pianist Yakov Muravin, with whom she has been doing sterling jazzy works for many a moon now, while guitarist Michael Ben-Meir closes the festival proceedings on Saturday.
On a sad note, there will be a tribute to much-loved gentle giant jazz educator and saxophonist Erez Barnoy, who died at the age of only 55 earlier this month. What better way to celebrate his too-brief life than a rip-roaring joyous jam session of veterans and relative newcomers to the local jazz community? May his musical and personal legacy be saluted for many years to come.
For tickets and more information about the Harash 4 Jazz Festival: www.HaRash4.com