Ehud Asherie: Organic (2010)

Dan Bilawsky

Senior Contributor since 2010

Jazz fan, music educator and writer.

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Published: November 15, 2010

Contrary to what some might believe, the designation of a musician as an organist or pianist does not have to be mutually exclusive. While some players choose to focus all of their time and energy on one of these instruments, many others prefer to branch out and try their hand at both. Fats Waller Fats Waller
1904 - 1943
piano wasn't afraid to work in both worlds, and a whole list of modern-day players, including Gary Versace Gary Versace

organ, Hammond B3 , Larry Goldings Larry Goldings
b.1968
keyboard and Sam Yahel Sam Yahel

keyboard , are adept on both instruments.

Ehud Asherie can now be added to that list. His string of piano-led discs on the Posi-Tone Records label have already positioned him as a rising jazz star on that instrument, but Organic is all about the organ, and he pushes the piano aside for this one.

The program is evenly split between Asherie originals and covers, ranging from Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein
1918 - 1990
composer/conductor 's "Tonight" to Antonio Carlos Jobim Antonio Carlos Jobim
1927 - 1994
piano 's lesser-known "Favela," and guitarist Peter Bernstein Peter Bernstein
b.1967
guitar is superb across the entire album. His clean-toned, single note lines are always a treat and his soloing on the charming ballad "Coquette" is an album highlight.

Asherie's organ playing is unpretentious and pleasing, never running into modern-day abstractions or resorting to clichés. The momentary stops on the second syllable of "Tonight" add a hint of mischief to an otherwise fairly straightforward performance, and the aforementioned "Coquette" adds a touch of grace to the album. "The Stopper"—a sorely neglected Sonny Rollins Sonny Rollins
b.1930
saxophone tune—features lots of stop-time punctuations and unison hits beneath Dmitry Baevsky Dmitry Baevsky
b.1976
sax, alto 's alto saxophone proclamations. Baevsky's searing solo work energizes the rest of the band and drummer Phil Stewart Phil Stewart
delivers an explosive solo. Jobim's "Favela" is taken a bit faster than usual, with a samba-like groove on the bottom, and Asherie kicks things off with a Morse code-like lick. Stewart's solo, with some festive tom-dominated playing over his steady samba footwork, is the highlight here.

Asherie's originals include a mellow jazz waltz ("Valse Pra Jelena") with Bernstein showing some Grant Green Grant Green
1935 - 1979
guitar -like tendencies delivered in a more modern fashion and a tribute to Fats Waller ("Blues for Fats") that clearly owes a debt to the man himself. Asherie isn't likely to give up the piano on a permanent basis, but the aptly titled Organic's presents an alternate view of the keyboardist's work, and is a welcome addition to his already impressive catalog.

Track Listing: Tonight; Valse Pra Jelena; The Stopper; Coquette; It's Possible; Favela; Apostrophe; Blues For Fats.

Personnel: Ehud Asherie: organ; Peter Bernstein: guitar; Dmitry Baevsky: alto saxophone; Phil Stewart: drums.

Record Label: Posi-Tone Records

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