1. Second Row Behind The Painter
2. Babel
3. Never Will I Marry
4. It’s A Dance
5. Interlude #1
6. I Got It Bad
7. Interlude #2
8. Interlude #3
9. Con Grew
10. folk-lore
11. Kvar Acharei Chatzot
12. Budva
Roy Assaf - Piano
Raviv Markovitz - Bass
Jake Goldbas - Drums
A Google search of Israeli jazz musicians is rather short and for Israeli jazz pianists even slimmer. The best-known name on the list is Tamir Handelman
who by now, is thought of more as an American than Israeli. Although on this list, Roy Assaf is hoping to leapfrog into the better-known part of the group
with the release of his debut album Second Row Behind The Painter.
Although he is now a resident of the US after attending the Berklee College of Music in Boston, Assaf’s antecedents are clear from the opening of the title
track where the Middle East’s influences are evident in the way Assaf strikes the piano keys and harmonics. Babel takes this effect even further
with Markovitz’s bass adding a stronger and darker tone to the dynamics all driven by Goldbas’ drums. Greenwillow was a less than successful
Broadway musical written by Frank Loesser from which Never Will I Marry was the most recognizable composition. Assaf’s oblique approach to the
melody gives him plenty of room to take a fresh look at the composition. Sprinkled throughout the album, Interlude #1, #2, #3 are short
improvisational musings designed more to take up time rather than to add any meaningful insight into Assaf’s playing.
The Duke Ellington composition I Got It Bad is given an intense reading by the trio with strong interplay among them which heightens the musical
tension. Most of the music on this release is original material from Assaf and like most young composers the results are mixed. None of his pieces are
bound for glory and are mostly inoffensive bagatelles unlikely to find repetition away from Assaf. Folk-lore has an interesting funky vibe set off
by a bass/drums exchange that works well. The final track entitled Budva opens with some monster chords then segues into a straight-ahead piece
that ripples with some fine single-note playing showing that Assaf knows how to cover the keyboard.
There are numerous interesting young jazz pianists that are bristling with talent and technique, trying to make a name for themselves in a very competitive
landscape. Roy Assaf is one of these names, but he will have to show more creativity in order to escape the clutter.
Pierre Giroux
CD Reviews
One Trick Dog Records 
