Assaf Kehati Quartet

“Flowers and Other Stories”

(AK Jazz)

Assaf Kehati is a Boston based guitarist and composer and this represents his second album as a leader following 2010’s “A View From My Window”. Kehati moved to the US from Israel in 2007 and has worked with an impressive list of artists including pianist Ran Blake, drummer Ziv Ravitz and saxophonist George Garzone. I suspect that he may have studied at Boston’s famous Berklee College of Music although his biography doesn’t actually state as much. 

As well as leading the quartet that features on this album Kehati also co-leads a trio featuring drummer Billy Hart that has, at various times, included saxophonists Eli Degibri, Will Vinson and Donny McCaslin. I’ve not heard the trio but would assume that the music Kehati plays there is freer and less structured than with the quartet. Indeed “Flowers and Other Stories” is a good showcase for Kehati’s composing talents on a series of seven self penned themes, often highly melodic and with a distinct folk like quality. Kehati’s collaborators on the record are Israeli saxophonist Alon Farber, bassist Daniel Sapir and drummer Udi Shlomo.

The album begins with the lengthy “Calling Me Home”, a slowly unfolding piece with a strong melodic theme that is initially stated by saxophonist Alon Farber. Kehati’s own playing is refreshingly understated and ego-less, he’s very much a team player and serves the ensemble throughout the album. Sapir and Shlomo are a supportive and flexible rhythm team with the drummer in particular adding much in the way of colour and detail throughout. Kehati exhibits something of Pat Metheny’s melodic sense, economy of line and purity of tone yet establishes a distinct identity of his own. Purity is also a quality that applies to Farber’s saxophone sound and he impresses with his intelligence and inventiveness. “Calling Me Home” also includes a subtle feature for Shlomo, his thoughtful and colourful drum patterns delivering so much more than the by rote drum features/solos often heard elsewhere.

Shlomo also begins “Mr. Mario”, a tune featuring a character that Kehati likes to describe as a musical gypsy. With its hints of Africa and the Middle East this is one of Kehati’s most intriguing tunes and features him in sparkling dialogue with drummer Shlomo as Sapir fulfils an anchoring role. Farber also impresses with his sinuous melodic lines and economical soloing. The brief “Tali” ,written for an old friend, features one of Kehati’s most affecting melodies and includes a feathery soprano solo from the impressive Farber.

“The Most Beautiful Flower”, essentially the title track, is a near twelve minute epic that does indeed open like a flower, building from Farber’s simple statement of the opening theme through features for bass, guitar and saxophone with Shlomo’s receptive drum work complementing each in turn. However, most importantly, this is far more than a string of solos, it is more about the quality of the writing and the musical dialogue that it inspires. This is a quiet, slow burning epic that segues via a closing passage of solo guitar into the following “The Snow and the Sun”, a winning ballad with a folkish melody and a gloriously warm saxophone sound. This piece also gives Sapir the chance to demonstrate his solo abilities with a brief but deeply resonant bass feature. Kehati himself adopts a richly conversational guitar tone that once again recalls Pat Metheny.

“Don’t Attack” features Farber’s delicately probing soprano and Kehati’s pointillistic guitar above a constantly evolving web of bass and drums. There’s also a melodic, lyrical coda. Like many of Kehati’s pieces there’s a surprising amount going on. This is music that manages to be simultaneously soothing and adventurous.

The album concludes with the gently Metheny-esque ballad “Invisible Green” played in trio mode with Kehati’s conversational guitar underpinned by Sapir’s deep bass undertow and Shlomo’s deft brushwork.

“Flowers and Other Stories” is a well crafted album that demonstrates Kehati’s ability with the pen and suggests that he has considerable potential as a composer. The playing by all members of the group is immaculate throughout with the ensemble sound paramount, although each musician also impresses individually. Kehati himself favours a pure, clear sound with the minimum of effects and his single note lines are eloquent and tasteful throughout. Similar qualities can be applied to saxophonist Furber whilst Shlomo excels as both colourist and conversationalist with an intelligent and flexible drumming display made possible by the anchoring role played by the equally adaptable Sapir.

If the album has a fault it is that it’s all a bit too elegant and tasteful. There are moments when one wishes that Kehati would provide a bit of grit in the oyster and crank up his amps and muddy the waters a bit. But maybe that’s just not his style and on the whole “Flowers and Other Stories” impresses with its skill and intelligence. Closer listening reveals a musical sophistication that helps to offset any impression of surface blandness.         

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