Or Bareket - Yom (2024) [Hi-Res]

For nearly a decade since moving to New York in the early 2010's, Or Bareket has been known mainly as a virtuosic, highly versatile, and in-demand bassist who occasionally leads his own groups -- his first two albums as leader, 2017's OB1 and 2019's 33, represented a compelling showcase of his skills on the instrument and featured a wide-ranging exploration of rhythms and forms inspired by his multi-continental ancestry. The last couple of years, however, have brought about a major shift. The formation a new quartet in 2021 and subsequent release of 2022's SAHAR, his highly-acclaimed third album, have seen Bareket tour extensively as a leader for the first time in his career, leading a regular band consisting of Godwin Louis on alto and soprano saxophone, Jeremy Corren on the piano, and Savannah Harris on the drums. Coming together during a time where Bareket's compositional vision has begun to cohere into a new phase characterized by a more angular, minimal, and confrontational approach (which somehow manages to remain heartfelt, melodic, and groove-centric), This relatively-new unit is also a culmination of years-long processes of community-building and language-making between all members of the quartet, who have been collaborating in different bands for many years, although never in this particular formation: Bareket has toured extensively with both Joel Ross' Good Vibes which features Corren on piano, and Etienne Charles' various groups which featured Harris on drums. Louis has worked with both Ross and Charles', and being a prolific composer himself, has also hired Bareket and Harris on some of his projects. YŌM, the group's forthcoming album and Bareket's fourth title as a leader, represents a new evolution for the group and for Bareket as a leader/composer. Energetic, focused, and wide-ranging in its emotional content, yet rigorous and patient in its delivery, the music on the new record is a response to the reality in which it was conceived