Everyday Actions
ears & eyes, 2021
8/10
An Israeli born singer, pianist, composer and music therapist, Noa Fort brings Josh Deutsch’s trumpet, Dan Loomis’ bass and Ronen Itzik’s drumming to very abstract and artistic compositions that embrace minimalism in very creative ways on these 8 unpredictable tracks.
“Endless Tea Party” starts the listen with expressive singing that welcomes warm piano in a bare, pretty display of calm song craft, and “The Stories We Tell” follows with bright brass and playful drumming in the animated climate.
The middle tracks impress, too, where “Home Stretch” brings warm vocal scatting to a timeless jazz delivery of strong piano, while the title track recruits much atmosphere as a dreamy mood is cultivated in a very cautious manner. “Rovno”, a particularly great tune, then showcases agile piano work that’s emotive and powerful in its flawless execution.
“Deeping” arrives near the end, and allows each instrument to shine with their respective strengths, and “Nature’s” exits the listen with a sublime poetic quality where Fort’s vocal gestures suit the proficient piano playing superbly.
In the area of free jazz and avant-garde sounds, Fort and company are certainly holding their own, and the manipulation of timbre, tone and emotion in Fort’s pipes make for a stunning 2nd album as bandleader.
Travels well with: Lauren Lee- Windowsill; Jeannine Otis- Into My Heart