jonespstephen
Beautiful, works both as foreground and background music. Listened twice through today on a long drive with kids in the car. They kept quiet and listened.
Qantar is more than just another group, it is for all intents and purposes a family and a community with its own customs, growing traditions, and even language (both musical and verbal). These five artists have formed a special friendship that projects a singular energy on the bandstand and on their recordings. Indeed, all are Israeli expatriates, all living in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, all regularly hanging out at their leader’s home, sharing dinner, Turkish coffee, stories, ideas, joys and sorrows. This shared history, even though years apart, imbibes this quintet with the key to Avital’s music: the ability to bring the various rhythmic and harmonic vocabularies underpinning 20th and 21st century hardcore jazz expression to flow with a polyphonic attitude and musical multilingualism.
The recording of New York Paradox came together after three years of the guys playing together regularly. It was recorded in Avital’s NEW studio/club/lounge - Wilson Live! in Bushwick, Brooklyn, on April 21 & 22, 2019, in a very comfortable, homey environment, captured by the band’s good friend, engineer Roy Boukris. Avital added, “we know the room as we have been playing here a lot in the past year and a half, and we recorded in the same room with no separation, no edits, no fixes; we just played the room as if we were on a gig.”
A joint release of jazz&people (Paris, France) & Zamzama Records (New York, USA)
credits
released February 28, 2020
Asaf Yuria, tenor and soprano saxophone
Alexander Levin, tenor saxophone
Eden Ladin, piano
Omer Avital, double bass
Ofri Nehemya, drums
"Qantar is a band with personality. Its personality is to sound friendly while kicking your ass." — JazzTimes
"A unique, forward-thinking approach worthy of any listener's time" — DownBeat Magazine ★★★★
"Cool bein's Qantar, you may need the sound of their freedom in this exceptionally restrictive year." — All About Jazz 4,5/5
"There’s never a bad time for the music of Omer Avital, and there’s never been a better time for it than today." — Best Jazz On Bandcamp
"Un album davvero piacevole all'ascolto, fluido, denso di ottimi spunti e varietà stilistiche, incline ad un sound multietnico ma con una forte connotazione tipica delle band odierne newyorkesi" — Jazzitalia
"L’album est d’un enthousiasme et d’une dynamique formidables." — Le Soir (Belgium)
supported by 26 fans who also own “Quantar: "New York Paradox"”
A great companion to Little Big. Similar to the first album in concept, but more subtle in style. It lacks the raw power of Siren, Digital Society, and Rising Mind, but replaces it with a barely perceptible build in tension throughout the album, with a clear resolution (Unknown). This album is as much of a story as its predecessor. ianjworsomething
supported by 25 fans who also own “Quantar: "New York Paradox"”
I normally only listen to electronic music, but after listening to this album months ago I found it kept calling out to me. Now after purchasing it I can see why. I am totally addicted to its beauty and harmony. Thank you so much for the wax version, as it is the only form of music I collect. kaosskid