Neta Raanan – Unforeseen Blossom (ENG review)

Gian Steps Arts – Available
Jazz
Neta Raanan - Unforeseen Blossom (ENG review)

This new generation of saxophonists is often quite remarkable, as is the case here with Neta Raanan, whose floral-inspired theme seamlessly bridges the past and present. Indeed, the structure here will likely strike you as stemming from past influences, which can be explained by the artist’s background, hailing from New Jersey. As a teenager, Neta was captivated by the mysterious black-and-white photographs of Bird, Dizzy, Thelonious Monk, and Lester Young hanging on the walls of New York record stores. She began attending creative music workshops along the East Coast, joining youth orchestras and ensembles, and frequenting iconic venues such as the Village Vanguard, where she discovered artists like Paul Motian, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, and many others.

Ah, yes, it is from this point that we fully grasp her artistic proposition. Neta emerges as a kind of visionary Dexter Gordon, also shaped by the iconic influence of her teachers during her time at the Berklee College of Music. Yet, this album is not just about references. Neta Raanan develops a unique style on this record that already makes her easily recognizable, with a vibrant energy and rhythmic sense that is a joy to hear. Accompanied by Joel Ross (vibraphone), Simon Wilson on bass, and Kayvon Gordon on drums, the group demonstrates cohesion worthy of the most seasoned musicians.

This album does not seek to please; it is profoundly sincere. It presents a form of intellectual, urban jazz, crafted with especially intricate compositions for each instrument and arrangements that never aim to simplify the work. One must listen to this album multiple times to uncover its deeper meaning. There is a touch of humanity and poetry in every tenor saxophone passage, and if I mention Dexter Gordon, it is because I sense something similar here in Neta Raanan’s approach to music—an exploration of sound and imagery through arcane and artistic devices.

As a saxophonist and composer, she positions herself as a storyteller, guiding us from one tableau to the next. There are seven in total, each as meticulously crafted and inspired as the last. The title track, which lends its name to the album, reveals the poetic nature of Neta Raanan’s musical writing, beginning with a breathtaking tenor sax solo. One can almost imagine the applause that would follow the conclusion of the solo on stage, so captivating is her performance. Even though the aesthetic here is particularly complex, it is no less brilliant. This album certainly earns its place among the “Essentials” of 2024, even as the first albums of 2023 reach us. Perhaps we are victims of our own success, but we are fully aware that this success is thanks to the talented artists we feature, and we thank them warmly.

Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News

PARIS-MOVE, October 24th 2024

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