Avishai Darash: Between Hope and Despair

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 emotions in Darash, which he felt compelled to express.

Accompanied by an international team with Antonio Moreno Glazkov on trumpet, Ivan Ruiz Machado on bass and Shayan Fathi on drums, Darash has delivered an album that oscillates between light and dark, and in doing so, displays the very fragility, and wonder, of human life.

The album gets off the ground with the title track, in which all instruments come together like an ensemble. Darash's years working with the Marmouche Orchestra gave him ample opportunity to refine his composition skills for many instruments. What starts as a rather sad melody is suddenly lit by his swirling piano solo. Darash is always elegant in his playing and has an authentic presence.

With an energising drum introduction that is kept up throughout the composition and which offers a nice contrast to the soulful trumpet, "Supernova" is a smooth tune with a catchy refrain where all accompanying instruments are given room to shine while Darash provides delicate playing as a backdrop. "Bastrika" is a playful composition which has a folk feel to it. Darash's piano dots the composition with a joyful sense of movement as each instrument, in turn, adds a layer to create a cohesive and vibrant texture. With a total mood shift, Darash's piano is particularly moving on the brooding "Echo Chamber" as he unfurls the melody through rhythmic shifts that reverberate with pain and irrationality. Placing "The Old Days" right after "Echo Chamber" on the track list feels like an intentional transition as it renders the piece even more somber and nostalgic. Darash's piano is delicate but laden with emotional weight on this contemplative piece. "The Sage" is a serene and thoughtful composition which develops through a dialogue between the piano and the trumpet and seems like an obvious continuation in the album's narrative. The album closes with the more upbeat "Midnight Express," where Glazkov's recurring trumpet motif leads to an energetic piano solo by Darash.

Between Hope and Despair is an album filled with sensitivity, as it ebbs in and out between upbeat tempos and more contemplative melodies. Music, as is well known, has healing properties and in the end, amidst life's struggles and devastations, Darash's latest album conveys a message of hope and yearning for unity.