Yotam Silberstein Trio: The Arrival

Add another one to your list of young and noteworthy jazz guitarists. The award-winning Israeli jazz trio led by guitarist Yotam Silberstein debuts The Arrival with a most striking display of energy, confidence, and ability. Joined by musicians and close friends bassist Gilad Abro and drummer Doron Tirosh, the trio is serious in its execution of music that ranks with contemporaries such as Bobby Broom, Jesse Van Ruller, Kurt Rosenwinkel, and Liberty Ellman.

Silberstein plays beyond his youth with empathy, poise, and the goods to pull it all together. His phrasing, comping, and punctuated solo style prove his ability and give a timeless feel to the music as the trio swings hard. Abro and Tirosh are equally well rounded, as the music will attest.

When listening to the opening selection, it would seem that this is just your standard Grant Green/Wes Montgomery-influenced fare. But a close observation (which one can hardly pull from a sound sample) reveals some fierce playing on many levels. This becomes clear on the fiery "Frythm," which starts with a heated guitar and bass vamp and opens up to stellar solos upheld by tight drum work. On the hip "Blues For 007" the trio captures the vibe perfectly with guitar trills and a nice drum solo.

The bulk of the compositions were written by Silberstein and cover hard to post bop themes with aggressive swing and heady interplay, but true to the art form, the trio keeps things fresh with on-the-spot improvisations. From the varying tempo changes of "I Hate U Blues" to the free and funky "Haper" and Cole Porter's "Just One of Those Things," the music signals that these young cats are for real. Highly recommended.