Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » Yaron Herman: Variations

351

Yaron Herman: Variations

Yaron Herman: Variations
Variations is Israeli-born pianist Yaron Herman's first solo release. Now 25, he didn't start studying piano until he was sixteen. At nineteen he moved to Boston to attend Berklee, but was turned off by its competitive climate; a return stopover in Paris and a spontaneous jam session led to a recording contract and a new home. His first recording was a well-received duo with drummer Sylvain Ghio called Takes 2 to Know (Sketch, 2005).

Variations is an intriguing disc that's full of lovely moments. The first tune to undergo variation is Gershwin's sadly overexposed and amateur-mangled "Summertime"; fortunately, Herman's reharmonization uncovers newly gleaming facets of harmony and feeling. The third variation on "Summertime" is actually a wholly different composition—Naomi Shemer's gorgeous "Jerusalem of Gold"—but Herman underscores the similarities in tone and mood to create a seamlessly integrated whole.



Herman shows off his chops on the dramatic, kaleidoscopic "Fugue," gets funky with Sting's "Fragile," and spins a shimmer of (nostalgic?) beauty out of "Eli, Eli" and "Ose Shalom." The longest track is Clare Fischer's haunting "Hommage a Francis Paudras," written for the man who famously befriended Bud Powell. Herman makes it pensive and ethereal.



Given Herman's meditative bent, his grasp of dynamics, and (especially) his occasionally audible, tuneless vocalizing, comparisons to Keith Jarrett will be inevitable. But his is a singular voice that richly deserves to develop in its own direction.

Track Listing

Summertime; Blossom (var. 1); Facing him (var. 2); Jerusalem of gold (var. 3); Libera me; Fugue (var. 1); Eli ELi (var. 2); Pie Jesu (var. 3); Ose Shalom; Drops (var. 1); Le temps du Conteur (var. 2); Fragile; Hommage a Francis Paudras.

Personnel

Yaron Herman: piano.

Album information

Title: Variations | Year Released: 2006 | Record Label: Laborie Records

Tags

Comments


PREVIOUS / NEXT



Yaron Herman Concerts

Nov 15 Sat

Support All About Jazz

Get the Jazz Near You newsletter All About Jazz has been a pillar of jazz since 1995, championing it as an art form and, more importantly, supporting the musicians who make it. Our enduring commitment has made "AAJ" one of the most culturally important websites of its kind, read by hundreds of thousands of fans, musicians and industry figures every month.

Go Ad Free!

To maintain our platform while developing new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity, we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for as little as $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination vastly improves your AAJ experience and allow us to vigorously build on the pioneering work we first started in 1995. So enjoy an ad-free AAJ experience and help us remain a positive beacon for jazz by making a donation today.

More

Eternal Moments
Yoko Yates
From "The Hellhole"
Marshall Crenshaw
Tramonto
John Taylor

Popular

Old Home/New Home
The Brian Martin Big Band
My Ideal
Sam Dillon
Ecliptic
Shifa شفاء - Rachel Musson, Pat Thomas, Mark Sanders
Lado B Brazilian Project 2
Catina DeLuna & Otmaro Ruíz

Get more of a good thing!

Our weekly newsletter highlights our top stories, our special offers, and upcoming jazz events near you.

Install All About Jazz

iOS Instructions:

To install this app, follow these steps:

All About Jazz would like to send you notifications

Notifications include timely alerts to content of interest, such as articles, reviews, new features, and more. These can be configured in Settings.