Home » Jazz Articles » Album Review » David Ashkenazy: Out With It

212

David Ashkenazy: Out With It

By

Sign in to view read count
David Ashkenazy: Out With It
Some music defies description. In the case of drummer David Ashkenazy's Out With It, words can hardly do justice to the varied moods and sounds of this eight-song set.

Ashkenazy studied piano and guitar at age nine and later learned to play the drums. His varied musical tastes include reggae, blues, rock, bluegrass, and jazz. A California native now residing in New York, Ashkenazy performs in a wide range of musical environments, associating with many other musicians, including his sidemen, saxophonist Joel Frahm, guitarist Gilad Hekselman, and organist Gary Versace.

"Dadi-Yo" is one of two original songs in the set. It starts with a spacy organ solo, joined by sax, guitar, and drums. Frahm and Hekselman blend in the lead before splitting. Frahm then performs a freely expressive solo. He begins subtly, but soon builds in intensity, mixing in several high-speed phrases, including a climactic wave. After a repeat of the melody, Hekselman enjoys a solo of his own. Guitar and sax then take off in different directions, bringing back the off-worldly mood that began the song.

The ensemble presents an eclectic take on The Beatles' "I Want You," which goes through many moods and styles. Guitar and sax blend during its bluesy opening; the song then shifts to a swinging jazz style, with Hekselman delivering a Wes Montgomery-style solo. Ashkenazy throws in some snare and tom rolls in the background. The music seemingly comes to a stop, but that's only a ruse to set up Versace's solo; while the organ is the center of attention, the guitar and drums remain quite busy. After another faux ending, the song shifts again, this time leading to Frahm's tenor solo, as he screams with emotion during some of its higher phrases. Throughout, the background players are heavily involved.

Though Ashkenazy wrote only two of the tracks here, he and his sidemen treat the entire project as though they created it. The solos are excellent, but the background players do plenty to be noticed. The quartet is solid as a unit, but each player gets to demonstrate individuality.

Track Listing

Children of the Night; Dadi-Yo; Simone; I Want You; Bokserboym; Zoology; Strange Meeting; Too Young to Go Steady.

Personnel

David Ashkenazy: drums; Joel Frahm: saxophone; Gilad Hekselman: guitar; Gary Versace: organ.

Album information

Title: Out With It | Year Released: 2009 | Record Label: Posi-Tone Records

Comments

Tags


For the Love of 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 create 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.

You Can Help
To expand our coverage even further and develop new means to foster jazz discovery and connectivity we need your help. You can become a sustaining member for a modest $20 and in return, we'll immediately hide those pesky ads plus provide access to future articles for a full year. This winning combination will vastly improve 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

Sensual
Rachel Z
Over and Over
Tony Monaco Trio
Love Is Passing Thru
Roberto Magris

Popular

Get more of a good thing!

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