Hearing the Shai Maestro Trio is like awakening to a new world: a world of wonders, excitement, beauty, and uncertainty. Sounds of intrigue, expressions of joy, introspective thoughts, and heightened intensity all come to the fore at one time or another as Maestro, bassist Jorge Roeder, and drummer Ziv Ravitz open up and share themselves through the music.
Right out of the gate, these three men establish themselves as high energy players and shrewd sculptors of rhythm ("Maya's Song"). Maestro's fingers seem to dance on the keys, Roeder pushes and prods while holding down the middle ground, and Ravitz delivers some rousing drum work that feeds and drives his band mates. It's an impressive performance, but it's merely a glimpse of what this trio is capable of doing. Elsewhere, deep thoughts, traces of melancholy, and hints of hope make their way into the picture ("When You Stop Seeing"); Maestro's drowsy musings on a Chagall-esque piece of art are translated into music for all to hear ("Painting"); Ravitz's power and Maestro's finesse stare each other in the face before everybody comes together to ratchet up the level of power and tension in the music ("Elusive"); and introspection rules, as Maestro thoughtfully deliberates while Ravitz and Roeder lay things down in relatively plain fashion ("Looking Back (Quiet Reflection)").
Untold Stories is the third effort from this outfit, and it's an album that could only be made by a group of musicians who've had time to really get to know one another on a musical and personal level. This trio is a single entity, not a group of three musicians trying to grapple with the notion of togetherness, and these stories are all gripping, exhilarating, and gorgeous in their own way. Dan Bilsawsky
Shai Maestro (1987) es uno de los pianistas más talentosos de su generación. Desde su debut con su propio trío en 2011, ha moldeado una identidad personal fuerte y única, mostrando una increíble fluidez musical que convierte a su banda en uno de los grupos más poderosos y armoniosos del mundo del jazz actual. El músico ha registrado sus dos últimos álbumes en el sello ECM, ambos producidos por su fundador, Manfred Eicher, lo que le empareja a los grandes pianistas que han definido el sonido de la exquisita discográfica alemana: Keith Jarrett, Paul Bley y Chick Corea.
Cinemático, desafiante pero accesible y reconocible en cada emoción, su disco más reciente, Human (ECM), fue en gran parte compuesto y grabado durante la pandemia y lanzado en 2021. Maestro, a quien hemos escuchado anteriormente en el Teatro Cervantes y el Teatro Echegaray como miembro de los grupos del contrabajista Avishai Cohen, se presenta en estas últimas grabaciones y directos en formato cuarteto: en Málaga tocará con Ofri Nehemya en la batería, el contrabajista Joe Martin y el trompetista Philip Dizack.
Shai Maestro ha compuesto música para películas, escrito y arreglado sus partituras para grandes orquestas, producido (entre otros, el álbum Fast moving century, de Gilad Hekselman) y compuesto para renombrados artistas contemporáneos de pop y electrónica. En el verano de 2022, presentó una nueva obra orquestal, Alice, escrita para la Orquestra de Câmara Portuguesa y su cuarteto.
“Un formidable compositor e intérprete que con frecuencia convierte los sonidos en material de fantasías improvisadas” (The Guardian).
Tracks
1. Maya's Song (Paris Session) (Shai Maestro/Jorge Roeder/Ziv Ravitz)
2. When You Stop Seeing (Paris Session)
3. Treelogy (Live)
4. Painting (Live)
5. Elusive (Live)
6. Endless Winter (Brooklyn Session)
7. Shades (Brooklyn Session)
8. Looking Back (Quiet Reflection) (Live)
SHAI MAESTRO piano
JORGE ROEDER bass
ZIV RAVITZ drums
All music composed by Shai Maestro, except (1) by Maestro, Roaeder & Ravitz
(6/7) Recorded October 29, 2014 at Systems Two Studios, Brooklyn, NY
(1/2) RecordedOctober 15, 2014 at Studio Sextant, Malakoff, France
(3/4/5) Recorded live on October 29, 2014 in Théatre Raymond Devos, Tourcoing, France
(8) Recorded live on October 11, 2014 at L'astrada, Marcia, France
Motéma – MTA-CD-177