Things Are Getting Better

CD Details

Product Description

Augmented Reality is an intimate troupe of three gifted musicians whose roots trace back to opposite corners of the globe, only to converge in New York for an instrumental collaboration that fuses East, West, North, and South.
Frequent collaborators Roy Assaf (piano) and drummer Ronen Itzik have a musical synergy which sparked the creation of a new direction in jazz. With the addition of Peruvian bassist Jorge Roeder the trio forms Augmented Reality, a group whose jazzy improvisations and syncopations layer in melodies of world appeal. Their varied cultural and social backgrounds bring Middle Eastern, Latin, and European influences to the music, blending them harmoniously in subtly provocative but accessible instrumentation that introduces a fresh dimension to jazz.
Through these multicultural interpretations, Assaf, Itzik, and Roeder elevate simple themes with melodies that instantly have listeners singing along. They embolden these themes with the spontaneity and dynamism of improvisation and with a contrast between percussion and melody that creates a remarkable time elasticity in a tune’s progression. The result is an unforgettable journey for pedestrian listeners and jazz aficionados alike.

Review

Collaborative trios are a tricky business. While all three members might set out to form an equal musical partnership, that rarely happens. Sometimes the instrumentation dictates the focal point, as with the fascinating group, Fly–drummer Jeff Ballard, bassist Larry Grenadier and tenor saxophonist Mark Turner–which is as democratic as they come, yet the horn draws the most attention by virtue of the general dynamic within a horn-bass-drums trio. This isn’t necessarily a good or bad thing, but it bears mentioning because no group of musicians, no matter how well-intentioned, will ever come across as 100% equals. No two snowflakes are the same, and no two–or three or four–musicians are likely to come across the same or share equal space and weight within a group. Sometimes, that makes the music all the more interesting, as with Augmented Reality.
This trio represents a meeting of Israel and Peru on the streets of New York, and the music embraces all of these geographic influences. Pianist Roy Assaf contributes five originals, along with arrangements of Benny Carter’s “Only Trust Your Heart,” Richie Beirach’s “Leaving” and the Latin classic “Alfonsina Y El Mar,” and his work often bears the imprint of his Israeli roots. Drummer Ronen Itzik–also a native Israeli–is a bit more covert in his compositional references to his homeland, providing a different perspective on the Israeli-American Diaspora dynamic. The third side of this thrilling musical triangle–bassist Jorge Roeder–isn’t represented at all through his writing, but he proves to be the most engaging soloist on the record, stealing plenty of space within the diverse compositions provided by his trio mates.
While the focal point may often shift toward Roeder’s bass work, this threesome also clearly has a strong group dynamic and engages in serious, simultaneous interplay, as beautifully displayed on Assaf’s “Ohel Israel.” They cover swing (“Only Trust Your Heart” and “Dry Tear”) and sensitive soul-searching (“Alfonsina Y El Mar”) with ease, and thrive on the mournful Middle Eastern-laced music that’s their birthright (“Morning Of Sorrow”). Itzik exhibits a flair for the dramatic when the band turns the volume up (“Sepharadic”), but he also colors the quieter numbers with sensitive cymbal sorcery. The band even goes well-beyond their roots with the album-opening “Tabacon,” which deals in subtle tropical influences and features some exciting solo work from Assaf.
Whether or not Augmented Reality is a meeting of three true equals, that’s beside the point. These three men form a cohesive unit based on mutual respect, shared ideals and conversational comfort within varied musical atmospheres, making Augmented Reality an engaging listen from beginning to end. — All About Jazz – Dan Bilawsky, June 2011

About the Artist

Roy Assaf
A pianist with dazzling technique and a composer who expertly weaves jazz harmonies, Roy Assaf was named the ASCAP Foundation’s Young Jazz Composer in 2008. He made his New York Blue Note debut with the Dizzy Gillespie All Star Big Band in 2007, followed by a European tour consisting of 13 cities.
Over the past five years, Roy has been touring intensively in Latin America, Japan, Canada, and Europe and has performed with Roy Hargrove, Lewis Nash, Ron Carter, Randy Brecker, Buster Williams, Wallace Roney, Antonio Hart, Eric Alexander, Dr. Billy Taylor, T.S. Monk, Steve Davis, Claudio Roditi, Trilok Gortu, John Lee, in addition to such Jazz legends as Jimmy Heath, James Moody and Slide Hampton. In the summer of 2009, Roy performed his first solo piano tour which included the prestigious Augsburg Jazz Festival in Germany and was an artist in residence at the Imatra Jazz Festival in Finland.
Roy has received t