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Nitai Hershkovits

Call on the old wise

ECM
Release Date: November 3, 2023

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1 The Old Wise  
2 Enough To Say I Will  
3 Mode Antigona  
4 Of Trust and Remorse  
5 Intermezzo No.3  
6 Majestic Steps Glow Far  
7 Dream Your Dreams  
8 Placid In Africansque  
9 Mode Brilliante  
10 Single Petal Of A Rose  
11 A Rooftop Minuet  
12 Late Blossom  
13 Intermezzo No.4  
14 In Satin  
15 This You Mean To Me  
16 Of Mentorship  
17 For Suzan  
18 River Wash Me  
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Call on the Old Wise is Nitai Hershkovits’ first record for ECM, presenting his powerful pianistic ingenuity in a largely improvised solo setting. Nitai’s improvisations unfold like compositions being created in real-time: “It’s like I’m playing with several periods of music at once, but in a sort of augmented-reality-environment,” states Nitai. “To me the album is like a journey taking you through multiple varying experiences in the blink of an eye. Like jumping through frames holding different pictures or looking through windows to different worlds.” Call on the Old Wise follows Isabela and Here Be Dragons, where Nitai has been heard as a member of Oded Tzur’s quartet. 

The album is partially dedicated to Nitai’s former piano teacher Suzan Cohen, with whom he studied in Jerusalem and who according to Nitai is the mentor to whom the term ‘wise’ in the record’s title alludes. The pieces “The Old Wise”, “Of Mentorship” and “For Suzan” refer directly to her. But Nitai draws from wide-reaching influences, ranging from his work in jazz contexts and cutting-edge contemporary explorations to his background in classical music. This immaculate balance of idioms gives rise to an abundance of colours and timbres, explored by a pianist, who has successfully forged his very own voice as improviser and shape-designer.

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