Shapes and Sounds Yonathan Avishai

• 1 Musicians! 07:00
• 2 Shapes and Sounds (A Song for Noa) 06:29
• 3 The Best Intentions (Medley) 09:57
• 4 When You're Smiling 04:21
• 5 The Longest Seconds 05:08
• 6 Prayer 07:51
• 7 The One Who Smiles 05:08
• 8 La Mélancolie 04:28
• Total Runtime 50:22

Info for Shapes and Sounds

Five years after the release of his album “Joys and Solitudes” on ECM, pianist Yonathan Avishai is back on jazz&people, the label that discovered him. Celebrating a decade of fertile collaboration with his trio, with Yoni Zelnik on double bass and Donald Kontomanou on drums, the musician releases “Shapes and Sounds” an album in which he magnifies everything that has made the strength of his style and its reputation: a way of playing with the forms and sounds of jazz, focusing on building from elements reduced to their quintessence (pure swing, the texture of a cymbal, the sound of a double bass, a few piano notes, a touch of blues…) moments of pure music. Inherited from Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk and Ahmad Jamal, his sensitive and spare touch gives rise to a series of eight pieces, six original compositions, which range from pure and sweet moments of happiness to the expression of more painful tensions, as well as two covers: “When You're Smiling”, made famous by Louis Armstrong, which will bring a smile to all those who hear it; and “La Mélancolie”, a magnificent song by the great French songwriter and performer Léo Ferré, which the pianist turns into a sad and romantic ballad that will speak to everyone through its simplicity. A favorite of musicians such as trumpeter Avishai Cohen or bassist Omer Avital, Yonathan Avishai reminds us with “Shapes and Sounds” that he is one of the most singular and touching pianists on the current jazz scene. Too good to be missed!

Yonathan Avishai, piano
Yoni Zelnik, double bass
Donald Kontomanou, drums

Recorded, mixed and mastered by Julien Bassères

Yonatan Avishai
One of the most talented musician from the new Israeli jazz scene, French-Israeli piano player Yonathan Avishai's talent was first discovered through the band Third World Love that he cofounded with trumpet player Avishai Cohen, bass player Omer Avital and drummer Daniel Freedman (five albums). Born and raised in Tel Aviv, he often accompanied touring American musicians such as Walter Blanding Jr. and Marcus Printup and was part of Arnie Lawrence's Ensemble. He is currently living in France. A regular member of the Omer Avital Quintet, he often performs with the band The Three Cohens.

"Yonathan is one of those rare musicians who are totally unpredictable... He always gives the feeling that he is completely free and able to approach everything he plays as a game." (Yaron Herman, pianist)

"Yonathan is one of my favorite musicians alive, and his voice needs to be heard. His music is deep and soulful, different than anything you might have heard. Please support by donating and sharing this." (Avishai Cohen, trumpeter)

Booklet for Shapes and Sounds