Our Thing Manhattan Style

Our Thing
Manhattan Style
Jazzheads

The group, Our Thing, is a collaboration between guitarist Roni Ben-Hur whose roots are in Tunisia and Israel, bassist Santi Debriano who was born in Panama and grew up in Brooklyn, and percussionist Duduka Da Fonseca whose roots are in Brazil and their latest effort is "Manhattan Style (Jazzheads). In the publicity materials for this release, mention is made of 'home' as a theme underlying the album whether in the originals from the trio or the covers of compositions from Ellington, Coleman and Jobim.

The music here is breezy, uplifting, reflective and exuberant. Ben-Hur's "Home" opens on an exhilarating fashion as he exhibits marvelous technique and tone displayed before solos from Debriano and then Da Fonseca on an scintillating opening track. Ornette Coleman's mid-tempo blues, "The Blessing," is another vehicle for Ben-Hur to showcase his touch, tone and musical sense that evokes Wes Montgomery and Grant Green to these ears before another taut Debriano solo while the trio's rendition of Jobim's "Polo Pony," further evidences their sophisticated interplay, with the deft support of Ben-Hur's wonderful playing. Ellington's "African Flower" just may be the diamond of this recording of many musical jewels, as Da Fonseca uses mallets and percussion to accent Ben-Hur as he states the theme with a marvelous Arco solo from Debriano the centerpiece. The sober, melancholic tone of Debriano's "Imaginary Guinea" reflects it being composed during the earthquake in Haiti in 2010. Its title is a reference to Vodun, whose followers in Haiti believe that Guinea is where their ancestors reside and that they will be reunited with them there in death. Guinea also represents Africa.

This superb recording closes with the lively title track that Da Fonseca composed after seeing Freddie Hubbard at the Blue Note in the 1980s where Hubbard was was “playing his butt off.” This selection opens with Ben-Hur's vibrant lead before Da Fonseca takes an explosive solo. "Manhattan Style" is simply terrific.

I received a download of this from the record company.This review appeared in the November-December 2016 Jazz & Blues Report (Issue 369). Here is a video clip of the three.

 

Our Thing By Roni Ben-Hur and Santi Debraino

Our Thing (Motéma Music) is the first time studio collaboration between Israeli-born guitarist/composer Roni Ben-Hur and Panamanian-born bassist/composer Santi Debraino. The idea and inspiration for the collaboration started in the summer of 2011 within the walls of the beautiful Chapelle Notre-Dame-de-la-Sardaigne, a 12th century church atop the tiny village of Saint Cezaire, France, where Ben-Hur and Debraino co-lead a much-lauded annual jazz camp. The pair also give an eagerly awaited annual concert as a centerpiece event of Festi-Jazz.

Our Thing brought them in the studio with the Brazilian born drummer Duduka Da Fonseca who like them is part of the vibrant New York scene. And there is considerable magic heard in this trio from the opening moments of their spirited interpretation of Thelonious Monk’s Green Chimney, to the closing moments of Irving Berlin’s Let's Face The Music And Dance. Seven of the eleven tracks are originals form the trio and bring together a blend of sounds and rhythms as expected from their diverse backgrounds.

Debraino’s Milonga For Mami, for example is a lovely ballad with the bass up front after Ben-Hur states the theme accented by De Fonseca’s parade like cadence. Debraino also contributed the title track, a lively Bossa Nova with Ben-Hur delighting with imaginative single note lines as the rhythm deftly propelling the performance along. Antonio Carlos Jobim’s Fontographia is a lovely performance that further displays the trio’s rapport and how well they complement each other. 

Ben-Hur’s Anna’s Dance, is another original with a Brazilian cast which Da Fonseca effectively drives with an understated attack, while his Ear’s Key, is a lively blues that the guitarist takes the lead with his crisp attack followed by Debraino’s assertive solo before trading fours with Da Fonseca. Irving Berlin’s Let's Face The Music And Dance, is given a spicy latin accent that again showcases Ben-Hur’s propulsive playing and musical invention that Debraino and Da Fonseca support thoroughly.

The musical delights of this trio is captured in a beautifully engineered recording. It is a performance that merits listening to on headphones to catch the nuances of the three. This superb recording is also one of the better jazz guitar recordings this listener has heard recently.

I received my review copy from a publicist.