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Meir Shitrit: Way
ByWay is a set of Shitrit's originals, opening with "Shepherd's Melody," featuring Indian percussion, and initially, an Eastern drone before the tune evolves into a lighter, bouncier mode. The low-in-the-mix vocals give sound an exotic vibe, simultaneously both ancient and modern. "Blue" is a somewhat sparer tune, forthrightly pretty, pastoral and American-sounding with the addition of harmonica.
A virtuosic instrumentalist, Shitrit is even more impressiveon his debut, at thatwith the production. His songs are multi-layered, with multiple harmonies floating behind simple melodies, with instruments that include the Jew's harp, violins, flutes, saxophones, and smooth, usually wordless vocals, and astute and subtle programming textures bolsterig his own arsenal of string instruments.
"Playin' Around" pulls the music into a groove, fun and playful; and "Noise" ups that groove ante, with an infectious modern dance beat. Then "Down Town" pushes that theme even deeper, with a rock steady beat and wah-wah guitar.
Like guitarists Daniel Lanois and Bill Frisell, Meir Shitrit is a studio wizard, weaving acoustic sounds together and juicing them with programming with a fine touch on his auspicious debut, Way
Track Listing
Shepherd's Melody; Blue; Waves; Way; Spirit of India; Jaffa Nights; Song of Search; Playin' Around; Noise; Down town; Tranquility; Taqsim Square.
Personnel
Meir Shitrit: guitars, bouzouki, saz, bass, lap steel guitar, vocals, programming; Eitan Hadad: bass; Barak Ben-Zour: drums; Nir Tayeb: bansuri flute, vocal; Nir Motzeri: flute; Achiya Asher: piano; Yonatan Rubin: saxophone; Hagit Yaso: vocals; Ran Levy: harmonica, percussion, Jew's harp; Koby Klar: bass; Pavel Levin: violin; Pierre Nakache: bass; Barak Henner: trumpet.
Album information
Title: Way | Year Released: 2013 | Record Label: Self Produced