The Jazz Gallery Presents: Ohad Talmor's "Back to the Land"

Photo by Frank Siemers, courtesy of the artist.

Perhaps reflecting his multi-national childhood, saxophonist Ohad Talmor mines musical inspiration from just about any source. Talmor’s 2016 composition Diokan Suite is a case in point. In an interview with Jazz Speaks, Talmor noted many of the work’s musical seeds:

The [main] melody is linked to my studies of Danish composer Per Nørgård, from an algorithm called the Infinite Series. It feeds a continuous uninterrupted melodic sequence of melodies. The first movement is called “Opening,” and it’s a tribute to Dan Weiss and Miles Okazaki, my friends of twenty years. They’re great ‘rhythmicians’ and positive influences on me. Another movement, “Guajiro Abakua,” is for my friend David Virelles, who lived near me for years. He’s into the Abakua tradition, taught me and showed me many things. A third movement, “Isorhythmic,” is a study on a medieval way of dealing with rhythm and motivic development. The fourth orchestral movement is called “Wayne,” for Wayne Shorter. I model so much of my sound and approach on his musicality. He’s a great composer and saxophonist. I aspire to have both worlds interact symbiotically, to embrace the way they embody the universality of our music.

This week at The Jazz Gallery, Talmor will present a new project called “Back to the Land.” Featuring vibraphonist Joel Ross, bassist Chris Tordini, and drummer Eric McPherson, the group will perform recently-discovered compositions by Ornette Coleman, as well as Talmor originals inspired by those works. To get a sense of what kind of transformations these pieces might undergo on the bandstand, check out Talmor and Ross put Thelonious Monk’s “Misterioso” through a 28-beat blender with Miles Okazaki and Dan Weiss, below.

Ohad Talmor’s Back to the Land plays The Jazz Gallery on Thursday, June 16, 2022. The group features Mr. Talmor on tenor saxophone, Joel Ross on vibraphone, Chris Tordini on bass, and Eric McPherson on drums. Sets are at 7:30 and 9:30 P.M. E.D.T. $15 general admission (FREE for members), $25 reserved cabaret seating ($10 for members) for each set. Purchase tickets here.