A highly unique soundscape that blends jazz with Middle Eastern and South American influences. touches on the canon of cultures that the Shimon Ben-Shir Group encompasses in their playing. The Groups compositions are warm, lyrical, inviting and memorable.

8 MP3 Songs
JAZZ: World Fusion, WORLD: Middle East



Details:
Ways, the second album from the Shimon Ben-Shir Group, is like encountering a friend you havenât seen for a while. You instantly recognize the voice and the face and eagerly make plans to catch up and hear tales of adventure. Bassist, composer and producer Shimon Ben-Shir and the Group come to your stereo ready to open their collective travel journal and share their tales through the eight individually original and highly unique compositions that comprise Ways. âWays,â the title track, grabs your attention from the start with a quick whistle and Flamenco introduction followed by the floating flute of Amir and supported by the grooving bass of Shimon. Dianeâs sprightly soprano sax flies overhead as the Group strolls through a lush, exotic dessert oasis. âJochebedâ bears the imprimatur of the Shimon Ben-Shir Group sound with a blend of Middle Eastern and South American influences with a light touch of Reggae joining the cannon of cultures that Shimon and the Group regularly welcome into their playing. Thereâs much to listen to on this composition, particularly the keyboard and bass groove supporting Johnâs trumpet solo. âFour Scoreâ by Duncan Martin drops you squarely into jazz territory and features great unison work and simpatico comping between Duncan on alto and Diana on piano. âGliding,â with itâs lyrical melody, and Shimonâs cruising bass line, is a sound-scape depicting the descent to earth of the space shuttle Colombia in that brief moment when radio contact with Mission Control is lost as it leaves outer space and re-enters earthâs atmosphere. Shimon and the Group capture the gentle glide down to earth in the crews last quiet moment. From gentle, lilting synthesized keyboard beginnings comes the nearly anthemic âOrange Sky,â an interlude of sorts featuring Shimon in a rock-based groove bass solo that tells the listener heâs been exploring far into the unpredictable depths that the music of this world has to offer.