Alon Farber: Dreams I Dream

Israeli-born, Berklee-educated saxophonist Alon Farber leads his able-bodied quartet, Hagiga, through its paces on Dreams I Dream, the ensemble's third recording for Origin Records and fifth overall since its inception in 2001.

Even though Farber's name is on the marquee and his imprint is on every number, this is a group enterprise in which pianist Katia Toobool, bassist Asif Hakimi and drummer Yonatan Rosen have vital roles to play, fashioning a durable comfort zone wherein Farber is free to stretch his improvisational wings. Indeed, the trio holds forth for the most part on Toobool's luminous composition (and touchstone), "An Old Friend," using Farber's alto sax as harmonic window dressing.

Farber wrote six of the studio date's seven remaining numbers, the exception being trombonist Oded Meir's meditative "20 Years," on which Farber plays soprano sax, as he does on two more tracks (alto on the remaining five), while Toobool designs one of her several impressive solos. The groovy opener, "Cookies," was inspired, Farber writes, by Thelonious Monk, the lissome "Mingus Dream," eloquently introduced by Hakimi's unaccompanied bass—was, obviously, inspired by Charles Mingus. The trim and colorful "Bartok Blues," he adds, "hails from a land Bela Bartok may or may not recognize." In any case, it is terrain that fits the quartet like a proverbial glove.

Farber also wrote the lovely "Theme for Einat" and brisk, Latin-flavored "Minorism," which closes the album on a bright and favorable note. Dreams I Dream is a better-than-average quartet session and a splendid showcase for Alon Farber's masterful Hagiga.