Search - Koby Israelites :: Orobas: Book of Angels 4

'Orobas' the adventure

Gustav Richardson | UK | 04/26/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I received my copy of this outstanding album two days ago. This album kicks ass. I'm an avid Tzadik follower and always look forward to the latest releases. This one I have to say, has got me hooked. Koby Israelite seems to get better with each album. The interpretation he brings to eight tunes handpicked by Zorn himself is according to the CD linear notes `an amazing orchestral achievement by an exciting young musical adventurer.' As a listener I have to agree.



This musical adventure opens with `Rampel' a groovy bass line accompanied by an ethnic Jewish melody. It's like Rabbi Meltzer goes clubbing. Next stop `Zafiel', the hard-hitting guitar riff here is totally irresistible. The music here is awesome, touching on the mystical as it flows from an accordion solo into heavy rock drumming evoking the sound of heavy metal band Black Sabbath. With `Nisroc' Koby Israelite again takes us towards the mystical. We are travelling through a medieval countryside absorbing the beauty of ancient forests....your imagination begins to wonder. Wake up! `Negef' reflects a multitude of influences. This genre-blending track mixes in everything Koby Israelite knows, sensitive accordion interspersed with hi-hat cymbals floating through jazz riffs, bass drum thuds into heavy rock drumming, reggae into spaced out odyssey, a Zappa-esque guitar solo into gipsy swing. Forget everything, you've never heard such sounds. On `Khabiel' Sid Gauld accompanies Koby Israelite with some very jazzy trumpet playing over surf guitar and organ. This mix really works, the music is an epic work of pure genius. Weird and wonderful, the journey on this album ends with `Rachmiel', the traveller is tired he has come a long way, now it's time to put this one to rest drifting through space and time the journey comes full circle.



Describing Koby Israelite's music as a journey is probably the best way to get close with words and to do this album justice. John Zorn's Masada Book 2 is an interesting and ground-breaking work, and with this contribution by Koby Israelite, beautifully and masterfully executed the next chapter in the Book of Angels is written. Expert musicianship, adventurous mixes and flawless arrangements make this album worth having as part of your record collection. I'm going to keep enjoying this record for a long time, but also I am eagerly awaiting more...

"

2 1/2 stars-- somewhat forced effort.

Michael Stack | North Chelmsford, MA USA | 04/20/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"The fourth entry into the Masada Book Two series, "Orobas" is the first volume where composer John Zorn reaches outside of his circle of downtown New York musicians, this time to Israeli-born, London-based musician Koby Israelite.



For anyone unfamiliar with either, I'll provide a bit of background-- in the early 1990s, Zorn wrote a songbook of melodies to serve as springboards for improvisation for a pianoless quartet, the band Masada. As time wore on, Zorn began experimenting with different ensembles performing from this songbook. In 2004, Zorn set out to write a second book, composed 300 songs and named them after angels in Jewish scripture, hence "The Book of Angels". Zorn wants the songbook to be the star this time, so each volume of studio recordings (this is the fourth) features a different ensemble. Koby Israelite is a multi-instrumentalist and composer whose interest in performing in different genres eventually led him to the sounds of John Zorn and Naked City. His music attempts the same sort of genre-bending and blending that Zorn's seminal project executed, although in my assessment with somewhat mixed results. "Orobas" puts Israelite in the shoes of an arranger, working with Zorn's Masada songs. He performs most the instruments, supported in some capacity by Yaron Stavi (bass and vocals), Sin Gauld (trumpet) and Stewart Curtis (recorders, piccolo, clarinets).



The net result is an album that feels, well, constructed. It's clear that it was layered and overdubbed and it suffers to some degree a lack of feeling of spontaneity that seems so critical to the Masada pieces (melodramatic "Zafiel"). Making matters worse, the genre movement lacks the organic feel that Naked City had-- the feeling that there's no reason why an Eatern-European accordian theme could sit next to a blast of shredder metal. Instead, it ends up feeling somewhat forced ("Neyef"). Mind you, the album's not all bad, but it seems to excel when at its most understated (closer "Rachmiel") and avoids harsh genre cuts in favor of subtlety (Morricone-tinged "Nisroc"). But it ends up being by and large a frustrating album, a lack of restraint at times is apparent and some pieces feel like they forcefully swap genres just as they start hitting their stride (funky klezmer "Khabiel").



There's enough good material on here that I can say this is a worthwhile listen, but when compared to the seemingly endless heights of the previous entries in the Masada Book Two series, "Orobas" is distinctly lacking."