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Avishai Darash: Between Hope and Despair
by Nathalie Tamara Freson
Avishai Darash's Between Hope and Despair is a timely album, composed as a reaction to the October 7th 2023 massacre in Israel. It refers to the spectrum of emotions one may feel in times of war, regardless of what side one stands on. This is to be expected from Darash, an intellectual pianist. He does not just play; his compositions feel like philosophical debates. The situation in his birth country, and the world reaction to it, triggered an avalanche of ...
Continue ReadingAvishai Darash: Between Hope and Despair
by Neil Duggan
Having a regular salary and a prestigious position would be considered as a successful achievement for many musicians. Israeli-born pianist and Amsterdam resident, Avishai Darash decided to buck the trend and gave up his position as artistic director and pianist for the innovative Marmoucha Orchestra to return to his solo career. Whilst stepping out of his comfort zone was not easy, he was now armed with knowledge gained from composing and arranging numerous albums with the orchestra and other projects. ...
Continue ReadingAvishai Darash featuring Marmoucha Orchestra: Andalusian Love Song
by Mark Sullivan
Israeli pianist & composer Avishai Darash has always made a deliberate effort to combine his Middle Eastern heritage with Western influences. He considers Andalusian music to be the origin and core of Western music; this album is a love song to that music and its journey and evolution from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) and into southern Spain. On this album Darash leads his largest ensemble on record, the Marmoucha Orchestra which is essentially a chamber orchestra, ...
Continue ReadingAvishai Darash: Samskara
by Mark Sullivan
Israeli pianist-composer Avishai Darash made a deliberate effort to combine his Middle Eastern heritage with western influences in this music. The album title comes from Indian philosophy: “Samskaras" are the sum of all mental, physical and psychological impressions left in the body of an individual. Darash takes the opportunity to revisit some of his earlier material, and the players also reflect his recent experiences. Double bassist Daniele Cappucci and drummer Joan Terol Amigó were band-mates on Nomadic Treasures (A. MA ...
Continue ReadingAvi Darash: Impermanence
by Mark Sullivan
Composer/pianist Avi Darash brings both his Israeli heritage and life in Amsterdam into a musical blend which features new compositions and improvisation in equal measure. He was a finalist in the All Around Rome-Jazz Awards for ensembles in 2010, a finalist in the MIMC 2014 for classical Improvisation, and won second place at the Leiden Jazz Awards 2014. His band includes drummer Ofri Nehemya (Avishai Cohen Trio, Omer Avital, Eli Degibri, Aaron Goldberg Trio), double bassist Avri Borochov (Yama Ensemble, ...
Continue ReadingAvi Darash: Impermanence
by Dan McClenaghan
Pianist Avi Darash, home-based now in the Netherlands, broods beautifully on “The Day After," the third tune on his CD Impermanence. His trio mates--bassist Avri Borochov and drummer Ofri Nehemya--offer an intricate yet subtle accompaniment, on a sound that brings the Brad Mehldau Trio to mind, with its floating momentum, cerebral atmosphere and subtle melodic development. Impermanence features the young pianist in trio, solo, trio-with-strings mode. Ambitious? Yes, but Darash is inspired and adept. “Happiness," the disc's opener ...
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