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Oded Tzur: Here Be Dragons

By Karl Ackermann
February 4, 2020
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On his previous releases, Like a Great River (Enja, 2016) and Translator's Note (Enja, 2017), New York-based tenor saxophonist

Oded Tzur

saxophone, tenor

" data-original-title="" title="">Oded Tzur amalgamated Eastern and Western elements and deep, balmy phrasing which drew sincere comparisons to

John Coltrane

saxophone
1926 - 1967

" data-original-title="" title="">John Coltrane. Not surprisingly,

" data-original-title="" title="">Manfred Eicher took notice and signed the Tel Aviv native to ECM for his third album, Here Be Dragons.

Along with the new label comes a revised lineup; pianist Nitai Hershkovits replaces Shai Maestro, and drummer Ziv Ravitz is replaced by

Johnathan Blake

drums

" data-original-title="" title="">Johnathan Blake, with bassist Petros Klampanis carried over from the last album. Blake is a journeyman drummer with over fifty album credits and appearances with

Tom Harrell

trumpet
b.1946

" data-original-title="" title="">Tom Harrell,

Kenny Barron

piano
b.1943

" data-original-title="" title="">Kenny Barron,

Oliver Lake

saxophone
b.1942

" data-original-title="" title="">Oliver Lake,

Roy Hargrove

trumpet
1969 - 2018

" data-original-title="" title="">Roy Hargrove,

Donny McCaslin

saxophone, tenor
b.1966

" data-original-title="" title="">Donny McCaslin and others. His trio with tenor saxophonist

Chris Potter

saxophone, tenor
b.1971

" data-original-title="" title="">Chris Potter and bassist

Linda May Han Oh

bass, acoustic
b.1984

" data-original-title="" title="">Linda May Han Oh released the highly recommended Trion (Giant Step Arts) in 2019. Hershkovits released his own impressive trio outing Lemon the Moon (Yellowbird, 2019), drawing well-deserved global acclaim.

Tzur's penchant for melding East and West is more subtle on Here Be Dragons than on his past two releases. The album opens with the title track, a relaxed, but exploratory, meditation allowing each musician ample time to express their individual interpretation. The connected series of "Miniature 1," "Miniature 2," and "Miniature 3"—the lengthiest running two-and-one-half-minutes—features solo contributions from Hershkovits, Klampanis, and Tzur, respectively, and each is a captivating little beauty. An energized "The Dream" follows and it is the sole hot spot on Here Be Dragons.

Tzur wrote all the compositions on Here Be Dragons except for the closing piece, "Can't Help Falling In Love," made famous by

Elvis Presley

vocals
1935 - 1977

" data-original-title="" title="">Elvis Presley. Each of Tzur's pieces has hypnotic and inventive qualities and the saxophonist continues to be a master raconteur. His move to ECM assures a wider audience for this deserving artist.

Learn more about our star rating system

Track Listing

Here Be Dragons; To Hold Your Hand; 20 Years; Miniature 1; Miniature 2; Miniature 3; The Dream; Can't Help Falling In Love.

Personnel

Oded Tzur

saxophone, tenor

Oded Tzur: tenor saxophone; Nitai Hershkovits: piano; Petros Klampanis: double bass; Johnathan Blake: drums.

Album information

Title: Here Be Dragons | Year Released: 2020 | Record Label: ECM Records

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