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Oded Tzur
“You will not hear anything more beautiful today.”
– Télérama, France
New York saxophonist Oded Tzúr has ushered in a new era for his instrument by giving it a whole new voice — one that is described by The Guardian as a “unique tenor sax whisper”. Often recalled by the artist as a 10-year leap of faith, this complete reimagining of the instrument has established him as a torchbearer of Spiritual Jazz. His music is more than a conversation, states the New York City Jazz Record: “It is an interactive prayer".
Tzúr’s body of work anoints music as the epicenter of a spiritual discipline: a prophet that tells us not about the future, but about who we really are. Through myth-like suites of abstract narrative, the bandleader tells the story of an all powerful deity, experiencing everything from sobering murmurs to cathartic, unabashed ecstasy.
“The Coltrane Quartet of the 21st Century“
– CD Journal, Japan
Following his 2022 release Isabela, which was named one of the 10 best Jazz albums of the year by The Guardian, Tzúr continues his epic journey with My Prophet, to be released on ECM Records in 2024. Accompanied by his long-time colleagues Nitai Hershkovits on piano and Petros Klampanis on bass, and joined by the newest member of the band — Brazilian drummer Cyrano Almeida — this is Tzúr’s most accomplished work to date. While remaining a seamless continuation of his previous meditations, My Prophet is as wild and daring as it is centered and focused, and promises to uplift the listener to new heights.
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Rhythms Meet Algorithms: Sparks Fly When Jazz Musician Oded Tzur Partners With Engineer Vansh Makh
by David Bruggink
Jazz and mobile apps may not be typically mentioned in the same breath, but saxophonist Oded Tzur, celebrated by All About Jazz for a string of albums merging jazz with Indian classical music, is changing that perception. Vansh Makh, a Bay area-based engineer, joined forces with Tzur to create Timeseer, described as “the first and only HiFi Indian classical music app." Timeseer offers a distinctly visual approach to rhythm, portraying complex musical patterns through accessible geometric designs. Devotees ...
read moreChris May's Best Albums Of 2022
by Chris May
It was a good year for jazz, as the world recovered from The Great Pause and bands got together once more for real-time live recordings. Twelve of 2022's absolute top albums are presented here, half of them new recordings, the other half reissues or previously unreleased archive items. Number One Best New Album Of 2022 Oded TzurIsabela ECM Records Oded Tzur's 2020 album, Here Be Dragons, the Israeli-born, New York-based tenor ...
read moreOded Tzur: Isabela
by Mario Calvitti
A due anni di distanza dall'eccellente disco di esordio su ECM Here Be Dragons, preceduto da due CD pubblicati per Enja, che aveva sollevato lodi sperticate da parte di un po' tutta la critica, il sassofonista israeliano (ma basato a New York) Oded Tzur prova a bissarne il successo e non fallisce. Il nuovo lavoro ribadisce in pieno l'ottima impressione suscitata dall'album precedente e conferma il sassofonista come uno dei più interessanti tra gli astri nascenti del nuovo jazz internazionale. ...
read moreOded Tzur: A Thrilling New Saxophone Colossus
by Chris May
Oded Tzur's 2020 album, Here Be Dragons, the Tel Aviv born, New York based tenor saxophonist's first release on ECM, triggered an eruption of purple prose. Critics competed to see who could convey the most enthusiasm. A few even suggested that the Tzur quartet was the inheritor of the mantle of the classic John Coltrane quartet. That might have been a little over the top and was certainly premature. Here Be Dragons was, after all, only Tzur's third album in ...
read moreOded Tzur: Isabela
by David Bruggink
Saxophonist Oded Tzur burst onto the jazz scene in 2012 with a remarkable approach to his instrument that drew upon his studies with Hariprasad Chaurasia, a master of Hindustani Classical music. Joining pianist Shai Maestro, bassist Petros Klampanis, and drummer Ziv Ravitz, he formed a New York-based quartet that began performing locally and ultimately released a debut album, Like a Great River (Yellowbird), in 2015. On that thrilling recording, the wider world was exposed to Tzur's unique mélange of Indian ragas, ...
read moreOded Tzur: Isabela
by Chris May
Oded Tzur's 2020 album, Here Be Dragons, the Israeli-born, New York-based tenor saxophonist's first release on ECM, triggered an eruption of purple prose. Critics competed to see who could convey the most enthusiasm. A few even suggested that the Tzur quartet was the inheritor of the mantle of John Coltrane's classic quartet. That might have been over the top, and was certainly premature--Here Be Dragons was only Tzur's third album in a recording career which had begun as recently as ...
read moreJulian Shore: Where We Started
by Troy Dostert
A pianist of uncommon sensitivity and graceful temperament, Julian Shore crafts music with atmosphere and feeling, aiming for emotional depth rather than settling for typical jazz devices. On Where We Started, his third release, he offers eight well-honed tracks which are both evocative and nuanced; while they might not win over the uninitiated in a crowded club, they offer plenty of introspective delights to listeners prepared to settle in with the music. Joined by a fine ensemble, Shore ...
read moreSaxophonist Oded Tzur's Releases "Translator's Note" on Yellowbird/ENJA
Source:
Michael Bloom Media Relations
Saxophonist Oded Tzur's latest effort, Translator's Note (Yellowbird/Enja Records) is is now available! Starting in 2012, Oded led a rehearsal in Brooklyn with Shai Maestro, Petros Klampanis and Ziv Ravitz. The immediate connection between the four musicians led to the creation of the Oded Tzur Quartet, an ensemble that explores relationships between the jazz setting and Indian musics melodic architecture. Oded Tzur is a New York City-based saxophonist, composer and bandleader. His work draws on Indian classical music and Jazz, ...
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Oded Tzur
Location: New York City
Instrument: Saxophone, tenor
