Yaron Herman and Avishai Cohen in Jerusalem

It didn’t take long for Yaron Herman to establish himself at the helm of a new generation of hybrid pianists. Unable to play basketball due to injury, the kid from Israel took up the piano in 1997 with Opher Brayer, a jazz musician who incorporates psychology, philosophy and mathematics into his teaching. His first album came out six years later, and he has since pioneered a blend of pop and jazz modernism whose sense for melodic enjoyment belies a deft touch and a deep, challenging intricacy. 

Here, he is joined in Jerusalem by fellow Israelis Avishai Cohen, an immense trumpeter known for his versatile unions between jazz, funk, rock and electric, and Ziv Ravits, Herman's longtime collaborator and sometime drummer for Lee Konitz. Together the sound they create is beguiling and powerful, with Cohen conjuring all manner of sounds on his horn (sometimes sounding like an 80s power guitarist) and Ravits drumming rugged rhythms into a melody lead by Herman, who melts notes together in a way reminiscent of Robert Glasper. An elusive approach that delivers spellbinding results.