| Jazz |
Naama Gheber and the Art of Making a Classic Feel New Again
With an ear for the great vocal traditions and an instinct for musical storytelling, the Israeli-born singer finds her own voice in the enduring language of jazz standards.
There is something particularly satisfying about an album that understands the value of a great song and trusts the art of interpretation to do the rest. At a time when musical originality is often measured by the desire to reinvent everything, Naama Gheber takes a rather different approach. Her latest recording is devoted to familiar jazz standards, songs deeply embedded in the American musical imagination and shaped by generations of remarkable performers. There are no original compositions to assess, no ambitious attempts to dismantle the repertoire or redefine its boundaries. Instead, the attraction lies in discovering what a gifted singer can bring to music that has already been performed countless times.
Gheber makes a persuasive case for the enduring appeal of this approach. What distinguishes her is not simply the beauty of her voice, but the atmosphere she creates around each song. Her performances have an almost theatrical quality, evoking American cinema of the 1950s, with its late-night settings, romantic undertones and understated sophistication. One can almost picture the dim lights of an elegant nightclub, a piano in the foreground and a singer drawing the audience into an intimate musical conversation. Close your eyes, and the setting comes naturally into view. This is not nostalgia for its own sake, much less an exercise in imitation. It is a genuine affinity for an era whose musical elegance continues to resonate.
That sensibility has roots in a musical journey that began far from the American jazz scene. Raised in Beer-Sheva, in southern Israel, Gheber spent roughly a decade studying classical piano before deciding, toward the end of high school, to pursue singing professionally. She used a graduation gift from her grandparents to pay for lessons with Ricki Gal, the celebrated Israeli singer. The weekly journey from the south of the country to Tel Aviv was a considerable commitment for a young student, but it proved decisive. Gal encouraged her to explore jazz, setting her on a path that would eventually take her to New York. After further studies in Tel Aviv, Gheber received a scholarship in 2015 to attend the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. There, immersed in the city’s musical life and club scene, she developed a deeper appreciation for artists such as Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra.
Their approaches were different, but each demonstrated how a familiar song could become something deeply personal. That understanding remains central to Gheber’s musical identity. Her classical background also helps explain the balance she brings to the repertoire. The relationship between classical vocal training and jazz has always offered interesting possibilities, but making the two traditions work together requires more than technical proficiency. Breath control, precision and vocal range are valuable assets, yet they must never come at the expense of flexibility, phrasing or spontaneity. Gheber seems to have understood this distinction. Her technique is evident, but she rarely displays it for its own sake. Instead, she favors a supple melodic line, clear articulation and an understated approach that allows the emotional content of a song to emerge naturally. It is a particularly effective way of approaching standards, where excessive vocal embellishment can easily obscure the qualities that made the compositions endure.
There is, after all, a considerable difference between having a beautiful voice and knowing how to use it. Jazz standards have been recorded countless times, and some interpretations have become so definitive that it is difficult to hear the songs without recalling the singers who made them famous. Taking on this repertoire requires musical knowledge, an understanding of the lyrics and the confidence to find one’s place within an established tradition. Gheber does not appear interested in competing with her predecessors. She draws on their legacy while bringing her own sensibility to the material. Her experience on international stages and her collaborations with established musicians have helped her develop an identity rooted in both musical discipline and a genuine affection for classic vocal jazz. The musicians accompanying her are an important part of that equation. Pianist Aaron Diehl, in particular, is a considerable asset. Deeply connected to the history of jazz, he has the rare ability to support a singer without confining her to a predetermined musical framework. His playing brings sophistication and a strong sense of tradition while leaving enough room for Gheber’s voice to remain at the center of the performance. Together with the other musicians on the album, he provides an elegant foundation that allows the singer to make the most of her strengths.
That collective dimension deserves attention. Vocal jazz is often discussed primarily in terms of the singer, but an album of this kind depends just as much on the musicians’ ability to understand the character of the material. Accompaniment is not simply a matter of keeping time or filling the spaces between verses. It involves knowing when to step forward, when to hold back, and when silence can be more effective than another musical phrase. The rhythm section and arrangements must establish an atmosphere without becoming a decorative backdrop. The strongest performances emerge when voice and instruments share a common understanding of the music. Diehl and his fellow musicians provide precisely that kind of sympathetic musical partnership.
It would be too easy to dismiss this album as a nostalgic excursion into the American songbook. What it really brings into focus is the idea that tradition and individuality are not opposing forces. Jazz has always depended on this kind of musical conversation, on songs passed from one generation to the next and reshaped by the sensibilities of those who take them on. There is something refreshing about an artist who embraces that inheritance without feeling compelled to apologize for it or disguise it as something entirely new.
Naama Gheber has the qualities to continue along that path: a carefully developed voice, a thoughtful understanding of the repertoire and an elegance that cannot be manufactured. Her presence on the international festival circuit is worth following, particularly for audiences who still value the art of the jazz vocalist. This album does not claim to change the rules, nor does it need to. It offers a welcome reminder that a great singer does more than deliver a familiar melody. She gives it a reason to be heard again. That is what Naama Gheber achieves here.
Thierry De Clemensat
Member at Jazz Journalists Association
USA correspondent for Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief – Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, November 5th, 2026
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To buy this album: November 20, 2026)
Musicians :
Aaron Dhiel, piano
Dave Baron, double bass
Kyle Poole, drums
Track Listing :
- There’s a Boat That’s Leavin’ Soon for New York
- My Ship
- Just In Time
- Lonely Town
- Any Place I Hang My Hat Is Home
- The Lonesome Road
- Theme From ‘Hotel’
- Trav’lin’ Light
- On a Slow Boat
- Detour Ahead
- That’s No Joke