Yossi Itskovich: Times

Trombonist and composer Yossi Itskovich is a relatively new arrival on the jazz scene, having only discovered the music in his mid-thirties and having up until then been part of the classical music world. Times is his debut album.

Like most debuts, the all-originals, seven-track album is a tad self-conscious and tries a bit too hard for its own good, but two tracks are real gems, demonstrating a real flair for arranging, and one is a perfect little treasure. The two tracks are "Yesterlives," a contrafact of Jerome Kern's "Yesterdays," and the album's closer, "Our Future," which channels the spirit of Duke Ellington's ballad writing for Johnny Hodges but does so while reclothing both musicians in 2023 garb. It is the stone killer of the set. The instrumental stars of "Our Future" are pianist Iannis Obolis, who adds some immaculate, subtly fast-forwarded Ellingtonia to the performance, and alto saxophonist Sam Barnett, whose limpid, lustrous sound also lights up several other tracks on the album.

As for trying too hard, this concerns Itskovich's liner note saying his ambition is to "consolidate the gap" between jazz and classical music. Good luck with that. Meanwhile, "Yesterlives" and "Our Future" suggest Itskovich has something valuable to contribute to jazz. More please.

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