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Omri Mor / Yosef-Gutman Levitt: Melodies of Light
BySpontaneous music of this hypnotic, mysterious beauty and elusive grace give us pause to reflect on where we are, individually and collectively, and to seek a better way. It haunts. It comes at the listener from some timeless shifting of the sands and the seas yet sounds as new, as vital, as now. It is a wonderful feat of human magic.
After recording South African bassist Yosef-Gutman Levitt's Soul Song (Soul Song, 2023) with guitarist Lionel Loueke, (whom mentor Herbie Hancock refers to as a "musical painter"), Melodies of Light was born in the extra studio time as a whispery duo improvisation between Israeli born pianist and composer Omri Mor (Avishai Cohen) and drummer Ofri Nehemya, (Rickie Lee Jones, Shai Maestro, Gilad Hekselman). From there the four men embarked on an intimate musical sojourn of soulful import and wide influence.
Built on thirteen movements of various lengths and guises, all of the world's music can be heard celebrating itself on Melodies of Light. It begins as it should with "Movement One Opening," a pristine hymn of meditation and purpose. "Movement Two Hamotzi" takes shape from its predecessors whispers and the drive for connection in a fractured world takes hold. "Movement Three The Dance" is just that: a rousing quartet percolation wherein each member brings in his rooted past and the creative present.
Each track (a cold, almost unkind word to use given the vulnerability and strength infused into each performance) follows the one before it with an organic simplicity that needs be heard (and listened to again and again) then described. The pacing is perfect as the quiet "Movement Four Hananya" serves as prelude to the vividly paced "Movement Five Jonah's Garden" (Nehemya's percussive sensibilites rise to the fore) as does "Movement Six Before the Rain" delivers us to "Movement Seven Timbuktu" and so on. Four bonus tracks are included, though truth be told they feel as one with Melodies of Light as Melodies of Light is to the soul.
Track Listing
Movement One Opening; Movement Two Hamotzi; Movement Three The Dance; Movement Four Hananya; Movement Five Jonah's Garden; Movement Six Before the Rain; Movement Seven Timbuktu; Movement Eight The Way Home; Movement Nine Sunshine; Movement Ten Out of the Walls; Movement Eleven For Karim; Movement Twelve Lament; Movement Thirteen Let Me Draw Water; Movement Fourteen Bonus Track; Movement Fifteen Bonus Track; Movement Sixteen Bonus Track; Movement Seventeen Bonus Track.
Personnel
Album information
Title: Melodies of Light | Year Released: 2023 | Record Label: Soul Song Records
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About Yosef Gutman Levitt
Instrument: Bass, acoustic
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