Yonathan Avishai – Shapes and Sounds

Pianist Yonathan Avishai’s “Shapes and Sounds”, recently produced in the company of Yoni Zelnik and Donald Kontomanou, marks the culmination of a trajectory of excellence marked out by his previous trio collections with the same protagonists: “Modern Tunes” (2015), “The Parade” (2016) produced by Jazz & People and “Joys And Solitudes” (ECM, 2019).

We find the perfectly mastered swinging phrasing, the certainty of playing, the quality of touch, the art of making silences speak, the effective use of slow tempo resources and the sense of composition that characterize the originality of his style.

His unique way of placing notes in their proper place elegantly vitalizes the main lines of a melody, revealing its most intimate splendors.

Each interpretation is carefully considered. This is most evident in the contemplation of Prayer, the emotion emanating from Shapes and Sounds (A Song for Noa), two of the six Yonathan Avishai compositions in the repertoire, and the exposition of When You’re Smiling, the standard by Mark Fisher, Joe Goodwin and Larry Shay, of which Louis Armstrong wrote a memorable version. In this respect, the way the Confessin’ theme is introduced in the medley entitled The Best Intentions is a masterpiece.

Long-time accomplices Yoni Zelnik and Donald Kotomanou make a major contribution to the quality of this album, which takes the trio’s art to new heights.