Post Description

Like phenomenal Israeli musicians – composer and bassist Avishai Cohen and composer and clarinetist Anat Cohen – the tone colours of Mr Mintus’ music has been forever tinted by Middle Eastern Sephardic and Ladino music. His musicianship is also informed by (the improvisational facet) of Jazz and a technique is clearly rooted in European Classical – particularly Romantic and certainly elements of Schoenberg, Webern and Berg’s – music as well. But he has absorbed all of this bombardment and internalised everything to an extent what no musical training can really teach you to do. All of this has resulted in music that puts him on the road to developing a singular voice which, when it reaches maturation, will sing from a magical score-sheet.

Mr Mintus is already displaying signs of this and it can be heard on “Samarkand” a composition that has all the markings of what could be the start of a very bright career as a composer. Together with “Koan” which sets out to unravel the existential challenges using pianistic gestures and devices that provide a wonderful parallel for the “something” and “nothing” at the heart of Zen syllogism. The latter is quite a feat of composition, but it is the former work that will mark Mr Mintus’ future as a composer. This young pianist attracted a gifted cohort in the form of bassist Dan Pappalardo and drummer Philippe Lemm, who are completely invested in the pianist’s vision and artistry. 

Goed jazz album, Njoy!