New York-based saxophonist Oded Tzur, whose work is influenced by the art of storytelling and explores the relationships between ancient and contemporary musical traditions, displays heightened intensity and a broader conceptual approach to his signature sound on his second ECM album. A fundamental musical idea permeates a series of sophisticated and passionate interpretations. The quartet's lineup remains the same as on 2020's "Here Be Dragons," though the group's interplay has since become even more expressive. In "Isabela," the tenor saxophonist and his fellow musicians—pianist Nitai Hershkovits, bassist Petros Klampanis, and rhythm virtuoso Johnathan Blake—use their sensitive musical language in a more intense context, exploring the nuances and colors of Tzur's self-composed raga in a suite-like sequence of contemplative meditations and powerful expressions. This remarkable recording session was realized in October 2021 at the Auditorio Stelio Molo in Lugano, under the production of Manfred Eicher.
