Asaf Yuria – In Light of a New Moon

Bringing one’s mentors together on a recording is surely a wish shared by many musicians. For Asaf Yuria, that wish has come true with the release of In Light of a New Moon, featuring a truly stellar lineup.

Alongside an all-star rhythm section, trumpeter Joe Magnarelli joins the project on two tracks: Hipsippy Blues, by saxophonist Hank Mobley, and Praise of Shadows, an original composition by Yuria. With an expressive fire that needs no further introduction, Magnarelli completes the sharp-edged discourse of the reedman with his own unmistakable voice.

The brilliance and sheer intensity of the performances live up to the calibre of the musicians involved. Asaf Yuriaimposes his sound on the entire session, bringing a distinctly personal musical perspective to these standards and giving major works a contemporary timbre (Polka Dots and Moonbeams). With a breath that is both fluid and buoyant, and an almost airborne command of the keys, Yuria brings a series of musical tableaux to life, effectively rewriting the history of these pieces (Con Alma).

The almost mystical presence of George Cables allows the piano passages to unfold at times with the character of a solo recital, while his accompanying role makes the legendary pianist something of a second leader within the quintet. Tempo and a supple yet rock-solid sense of time are equally present in the work of Billy Hart behind the drums and Omer Avitalon bass, providing a substantial rhythmic foundation for the saxophone’s ongoing flight (EVC).

With legends such as these becoming, for the occasion, musical companions on the road, the result inevitably goes well beyond mere accompaniment. Especially since George Cables and Billy Hart were both teachers of Asaf Yuria. What emerges is a genuine musical symbiosis, one in which the connection between generations becomes something more than a lineage: it becomes a living transmission.

The real challenge might have been for the new generation to outshine its distinguished mentors. But this is less about surpassing than about paying homage, within a continuum that openly embraces the passing of the torch while introducing more contemporary inflections. Beyond his undeniable instrumental command, Asaf Yuria is searching for new annotations to the tradition, giving birth to a renewed form of jazz that avoids the trap of mere reinterpretation.

Following his earlier ventures into contemporary hard bop, Papa Wawa (2018) and Exorcisms (2021), Asaf Yuriaconfirms here the emergence of a major new talent on the instrument, in the service of a jazz that deftly brings tradition and modernity into conversation.