Written in Music’s Dick Hovenga from The Netherlands writers, “After The Real Thing is a great introduction to Mor's talent .“
The worldwide breakthrough musicians saxophonist / clarinetist Anat Cohen, drummer Ziv Ravitz, pianist Yonathan Avishai and above all the two Avishai Cohens (bassist and trumpet player) have of course optimally proven that Israel has a very interesting jazz scene. And a new batch is already in the spotlight. Pianist Roy Mor is clearly one of them.
Having graduated in both philosophy and engineering, a future at Microsoft was in sight, but he decided to follow his great love and left for New York where he, among others, and right away, in the bands of Anat Cohen, Esperanza Spalding, Ben Wendel and Dave Douglas played. On his return to Israel, he joined the band of trumpet player Avishai Cohen.
He has been active on his own for years now and with the now worldwide released album After The Real Thing his fame will quickly increase. With a leading role for former player Amos Hoffman, Mor has brought together jazz traditions with original / traditional music from the region on his new album.
It has turned out to be a beautiful album on which Mor brings his great qualities as a pianist into the limelight, plays himself nicely in the spotlight of the more famous jazz halls. His playing is accessible and rich in color and performed with a fine technique, both in the uptempo pieces and the more subdued ones.
After The Real Thing was recorded in Brooklyn (just before Covid took over New York too) with a nice diverse group of musicians, with double bassist Myles Sloniker and drummer Itay Morchi as his most important musical companions, next to Hoffman, who plays the guitar in addition to old. . Flugelhorn player Davy Lozar can also be heard on the album.
The major part of the album is filled with own compositions that are set up in a wide spectrum of jazz. In addition, Mor has recorded compositions by a variety of interesting other composers, such as Kurt Weill, the well-known Israeli composer Efraim Shamir, Hoagy Carmichael (the well-known The Nearness of You) and Yonahan Zarai.
After The Real Thing is a great introduction to Mor's talent for a larger audience. Nice to listen to, finely played jazz with a nice liveliness. And although the oud produces a nice special sound within the band sound, I hear the really great talent even more when they fall back on pure piano, bass and drums. How effortlessly they find each other and how beneficent Mor can play.
Roy Mor's album After The Real Thing was released by Ubuntu Music on May 21, 2021.