By Carlo Wolff | Published January 2018
Eden Ladin’s vibrant Yequm effortlessly fuses electronica and jazz in tunes spanning the moody “Lonely Arcade Man” and the exultant “The One Warm Hearted Man.”
A Middle Eastern tonality permeates the longer pieces on this solo debut, including “Safta,” an expansive portrait featuring John Ellis’ tenor saxophone and Gilad Hekselman’s guitar; “Times Square,” paced by Dor’s subtle drums; and the ethereal “Dreams,” which lays the feathery vocals of Camila Meza over Ladin’s piano.
A diverse album of mood and texture, it’s also one of thoughtful pacing, as Ladin pairs tracks, segueing from the abstract “From The Frozen Cave” to the inviting “Warm Hearted Man.” Later, “Dreams” melts into “Gambit,” a volatile meditation on chess featuring sinuous interplay between tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens and Hekselman.
Yequm: Lonely Arcade Man; Smell/Faded Memory; From The Frozen Cave; The One Warm Hearted Man Living In The Kingdom Of ICE; The Way We Used To Laugh; Safta (Grandma); Times Square; Dreams; Gambit; Schlompi; Autumn Song. (56:54)
Personnel: Eden Ladin, piano; Yonatan Albalak, guitar; Daniel Dor, drums; John Ellis, tenor and soprano saxophones; Gilad Hekselman, guitars; Camila Meza, voice; Harish Raghavan, bass; Dayna Stephens, tenor saxophone, EWI.
