Tamuz Nissim & George Nazos: Liquid Melodies

"New York City-based Israeli jazz singer" is a cultural metaphor, but that is exactly what singer Tamuz Nissim is. Born into a creative family in Tel Aviv, educated at the Royal Conservatoire of Den Haag, Nissim emerged into to a bourgeoning recording arena with the release of her debut recording, The Music Stays in a Dream (Self Produced, 2013), a collection of ten original compositions that was critically well received. Presently, she joins forces with guitarist George Nazos for Liquid Melodies, a beautifully quirky recital of mostly originals that are so smart they can bend light.

Nissim's voice and Nazos' guitar have much in common. They are both creatively untethered from conventional wisdom and melodic conventions. The two possess a freedom principle that is not afraid to take chances as is the case with Nissim's performance of Charlie Parker's "Chasing the Bird," (with lyrics written by Nissim) in duet with trombonist Willie Applewhiteh, who together merrily deconstruct this bebop classic. Nazos shows his mettle on his composition "Isn't it Strange," where the guitarist, using a slightly fluffy tone, provides Nissim and Applewhite a circuitous melody, doubling voice and trombone, that could have been only conceived while quaffing a neon blue drink at Chalmun's Cantina in the fabled Mos Eisley. That is how special this music is.