Search - Danny Zamir :: Satlah

The notion of a teenage jazz prodigy brings to mind mainly players from the distant past--Lee Morgan and Tony Williams, for example. In alto saxophonist Danny Zamir, the world has a prodigy--or at least a player and composer of distinct enough talents that he deserves widespread acclaim on the basis only of his debut CD, Satlah. Released under Tzadik Records' "Great Jewish Music" umbrella, Satlah bucks from the opening into a klezmer-rooted tune that quickly showcases Zamir's yearning, warmly keening tone as his trio runs through a strong melody that recalls Sonny Rollins as much as the Klezmorim. But Zamir, an Israeli native, invites Tzadik founder John Zorn onboard, and they mesh splendidly on the melodies, which stay in the klezmer realm even as they move into the less-charted world of an Ornette Colemanesque soundscape where soloing and melody are largely indistinguishable. Zamir and Zorn engage in some high-intensity chases, as well, each rasping their way back to melodies that remain in the ear after they've disappeared. There are cantor samples, assorted toys and bells interpolated between and through some tunes, and minor-key melodies aplenty throughout Satlah, a word whose meaning, Zamir points out in the liner notes, is Hebrew slang for "euphoria." Zamir's debut is aptly named. --Andrew Bartlett