Oz Noy Trio - Asian Twistz (2015)

Acclaimed Israeli-born, New York-based guitarist and composer Oz Noy strains against boundaries, creating intuitive, fluid sonic art suspended somewhere between blues anguish, rock power, and the rich harmonic density of jazz. The live 'Asian Twistz' may just be the purest distillation of his vision yet.

An unexpected dispatch from a trio of 2014 shows in Shanghai and Thailand, 'Asian Twistz' was recorded on the fly with no intention of release, and features the all-star rhythm section of drummer Dave Weckl (Chick Corea, George Benson, Robert Plant) and bassist Etienne Mbappe (John McLaughlin's 4th Dimension, Salif Keita).

Freed from the sterile environs of the studio, Noy's trio is explosively resourceful, interacting and improvising with a rare degree of muscle and sensitivity - whether tackling a classically styled shuffle like "Whole Tone Blues" or the terse, knotty funk of "Steroids." Noy's playing in particular reveals why he has been cited as a bold new voice on the instrument, welding a deep foundation in the blues to a tireless urge to innovate and discover new terrain - either via the use of effects (the extended drums/guitar intro on "Downside Up") or deft use of space ("Slow Grease").

Tracklist:

1. Get Down ( 9:21)
2. Rhumba Tumba ( 7:03)
3. Whole Tone Blues ( 7:29)
4. Downside Up (10:38)
5. Twice In A While ( 2:54)
6. Just Groove Me ( 7:03)
7. Slow Grease ( 9:08)
8. Freedom Jazz Dance ( 8:18)
9. Steroids ( 9:00)

Personnel:

Oz Noy (guitar),
Etienne Mbappe (bass),
Dave Weckl (drums).