Eli Degibri: Henri and Rachel
Degibri Records

With sterling accompaniment provided by pianist Tom Oren, bassist Alon Near, and drummer Eviatar Slivnik, Tel Aviv-based Eli Degibri brings his full-bodied saxophone sound to his self-released ninth album, Henri and Rachel. Perhaps the greatest takeaway isn't so much the chemistry the quartet exhibits in the performances but rather the beauty of the leader's compositions. There are pieces on the album that one could easily imagine other jazz artists salivating at the prospect of working into their own sets. Perhaps one reason why the material is so striking has to do with the inspirations behind the project, Degibri's father, who passed away in the fall of 2020, and his mother, who's suffering from Parkinson's Disease and dementia. In honouring them, the saxophonist has created material that captures the deep feelings he has for his parents, and, as will be seen, he draws on other life-changing events for some of the other pieces.

A one-time Berklee teacher said to Degibri when he attended the Boston school in the ‘90s, “You play old in a new way,” and certainly the evidence at hand supports the observation. Whereas his tenor tone is smooth, warm, and refined and the quartet's acoustic attack long-established, the material feels wholly contemporary. That might have something to do with the fact that the melodies Degibri writes have the immediacy of a pop song, even if they're grounded within a jazz context. It also might be accounted for by the strong rapport between the musicians. After moving back to Israel from New York in 2011, he eventually assembled his current rhythm section, which has been with him for the last four years.

Recorded in February 2020 shortly before the pandemic hit, Henri and Rachel is the first album of original material from Degibri since 2015's Cliff Hanging, though a Hank Mobley homage featuring tunes by the tenor saxophonist, Soul Station, did appear three years later. Indicative of how special the title composition is, it receives two readings, a quartet version at album's start and a duo tenor-and-piano treatment to close things out. In opening the performance with a sung folk chant that's then voiced instrumentally by the tenor-led quartet, the material catches the attention instantly, especially when the tune's melodies sing so sweetly. Compositionally speaking, the peak is “Gargamel” for its seductively smoky tone and the sultry vamp that undergirds its soulful melodies. Taken at a deliciously slow tempo, the ballad sees Degibri thoughtfully shaping his solo and showcases the talents of his partners. While Oren contributes a soulfully swinging turn of his own, the rhythm section's more notable for how beautifully it digs into the tune's slinky feel.

As mentioned, Henri and Rachel pays homage to Degibri's parents but also celebrates love and friendship. A sequence of four tunes references love and marriage, starting with an inspired makeover of the Jimmy van Heusen standard, “Like Someone in Love.” Delivered at a brisk 5/4 clip, the piece feels reborn in the quartet's hands when Oren accompanies the saxophonist with winding, classically inflected patterns. Three Degibri originals follow, “Longing,” “Noa,” and “The Wedding,” the central one titled after his fiancé. “Longing” is largely a blowing vehicle for the soprano-wielding leader and Oren, but it's most memorable for the furious drive of Near and Slivnik. Depth of feeling oozes from the leader's tenor on “Noa,” though it's a tad more pensive than one might expect from a piece named for an impending life partner. Celebratory by comparison is the uptempo “The Wedding,” Degibri again on soprano sax and rejoicing exultantly.

April 2022