Brooding but true: that's one way to describe Oded Tzur's saxophone sound. The Israel-born saxophonist, composer and bandleader, who is now a New York resident, embraces music as an art as well as a form of prayer, culminating in a body of work that has reached millions of listeners. He was already searching for an international language on previous records, but on his latest Isabela, which came out on ECM last year, he has clearly discovered the formula. Tzur integrates Indian music into his jazz playing, with a velvet touch on the tenor saxophone that is reminiscent of John Coltrane. He honed his musical skills partly in Rotterdam, at the Codarts conservatory. His playing can at times have a slightly rawer edge to it. Tzur rediscovered the delta blues of musicians such as Son House and Howlin' Wolf. This has also left its traces through the elongated notes, which follow the structures of ancient Indian ragas.
