Omer Klein

4 STARS DOWBEAT, March 2011

The title track of Rockets On The Balcony, pianist Omer Klein’s fourth release, provides a sense of the combustible political climate throughout the Middle East. Rooted in the classical tradition, Klein’s somber reading becomes progressively dark; Haggai Cohen Milo’s arco bass, through the use of jarring overtones, evokes the downward flights of missiles. The foreboding mood the song strikes is misleading. Much of the album is upbeat and—in the case of “Baghdad Blues”—ironic.
Recalling Hebrew folk songs, Milo bows in unison with Klein while drummer Ziv Ravitz pairs shakers with the kick drum. “Baghdad” features few if any blue notes and there’s not a hint of the standard I-IV-V chord progression.
The opening track, “España,” features a more conventional arrangement but a similar sensibility. Ditto for “The Wedding Song” and “Hope,” and also “Shir Avoda,” which Klein performs on electric piano. Rockets is an indicator of the sea change that has been occurring in jazz. Pretty much everyone is dabbling with one ethnic music or another. In the case of Klein’s trio, the musicians all happen to be from Israel and the album successfully reconciles one world with another. —Eric Fine

Personnel:

OMER KLEIN,  piano, Fender Rhodes
HAGGAI MILO, bass, kalimba
ZIV RAVITZ, drums, percussion.

Recorded in New York,  22 & 23 November, 2009.

Tracks:

01. Rockets On The Balcony
02. España; Baghdad Blues;
03. The Wedding Song;
04. Shining Through Broken Glass;
05. Hope
06. Heidad
07. Rockets On The Balcony
08. Shir Avoda
09. Neila