| Jazz |
When Jazz Refuses to Choose Between Its Past and Its Future
The evening was settling in. The sun was low, casting a soft golden light across the pale curtains, a light that seemed to hold the room in a moment of suspension. The day was drawing to a close, and with it came that familiar desire to step away from the noise of the world, to find a little quiet and let the mind wander. It was at that hour that I put on Osmosis, the debut album by Zohar & Adam. Within minutes, I found myself drawn into a musical landscape that was both unexpectedly familiar and difficult to pin down. Some records reveal themselves immediately. Others take time. And then there are those that seem to open a door onto a place you had not thought to look for. Osmosis belongs to the latter category. There are moments when the album brings to mind the adventurous spirit of 1970s jazz, when electric instruments, synthesizers and rhythms drawn from different musical traditions began to reshape the sound of the genre. But nostalgia is not what drives this record. Zohar and Adam Cabo are not trying to recreate an earlier period, nor are they interested in treating jazz fusion as a formula to be revived. They have taken elements of that musical vocabulary and made them part of something distinctly their own. The result feels contemporary without being anxious to sound modern.
Much of the album’s character comes from its rhythmic approach. Programmed beats and live percussion coexist naturally, without the electronic elements being treated as a novelty or the acoustic instruments as guardians of some supposedly purer tradition. The synthesizers occasionally suggest hip-hop and electronic music, while the underlying musical language remains rooted in the interaction and improvisational instincts of jazz. The different elements do not compete for attention. They find their place within the same musical conversation.
Listening to Osmosis, I found myself thinking of Blue Note. Not because the album imitates the label’s sound, but because it shares something of the adventurous spirit that has defined some of its most interesting recordings: a willingness to let musicians move beyond familiar territory while maintaining a strong sense of musical purpose. Mack Avenue, which is releasing the album, has also shown an interest in artists who approach jazz from less predictable angles. The distinction between jazz and the music surrounding it has become increasingly difficult to maintain, and perhaps that is as it should be. Hip-hop, electronic production and popular music are not external influences that younger musicians must justify bringing into jazz. They are part of the musical environment in which many of them have grown up.
What matters is what an artist does with those influences. Osmosis succeeds because they are not simply assembled for effect. The electronic textures have a role to play, the rhythms give the music its momentum, and the instrumental passages develop out of the compositions rather than appearing as opportunities for individual display. There is a sense of purpose behind the arrangements, even when the music takes an unexpected turn.
One of the album’s most memorable contributions comes from Christian McBride on “For Chick,” where he plays upright bass alongside saxophonist Steve Wilson. McBride has an extraordinary ability to give a performance weight without making it feel heavy. His sound is unmistakable, but he never dominates the music simply by virtue of his presence. Here, the bass provides depth and direction, helping to shape the performance while leaving room for the other musicians. It is a reminder of how much can be achieved through attentive ensemble playing. The contribution is particularly meaningful given McBride’s relationship with the two brothers, whom he has encouraged and mentored over the years.
That relationship also points to an important part of their background. Zohar and Adam Cabo grew up in a musical family, alongside their sister Noga, in an environment where playing music was part of everyday life. Their early experiences included family performances and collaborative projects, eventually taking them to Sun Studios in Memphis. For young musicians, encountering a place so deeply embedded in American musical history must have been an experience in itself. It also reflects the breadth of their interests, which have never been confined to jazz alone.
Their educational paths were not identical. Zohar began exploring jazz through the Jazz Academy at Jazz at Lincoln Center. Adam developed a different side of his musical vocabulary through the Fat Cats Afro-Cuban Jazz Youth Orchestra, led by Zack O’Farrill, and later studied rumba in Cuba. His interest in percussion, including cajón and timbales, is an important part of the rhythmic personality he brings to the duo.
Both brothers also studied jazz with Steve Wilson at Trinity Church through Jazz House Kids, the educational organization founded and led by Melissa Walker, with Christian McBride serving as its artistic director. Its work is based on the idea that teaching jazz involves more than passing on technical knowledge. Young musicians need to understand the tradition, but they also need the freedom to develop their own musical identities. That balance between discipline and independence seems particularly relevant to the music Zohar and Adam are making today.
Zohar’s experiences also included opening for Norah Jones and performing alongside musicians such as Christian McBride and Gregory Porter. These are significant opportunities for any young musician, but their importance should not be measured simply by the names involved. What matters is the experience of working in a professional musical environment, listening, adapting and learning how different artists approach their craft. The influence of these experiences can be heard in Osmosis, although not in the form of obvious references. The album does not announce where its musicians have studied or whom they have encountered. Instead, those experiences seem to have become part of their musical instincts. There is an ease in the way the brothers move between different rhythmic and harmonic environments, and a willingness to let the music develop without forcing it into a predetermined shape.
The guest appearances add further dimensions to the record. “Demon,” featuring Nory and J3PO, brings another color to the album’s sound. Noga Cabo appears on “The Table,” while saxophonist Ben Mizrach contributes to “Just One of Us.” On the title track, bassist Hadrien Feraud and trumpeter Skylar Tang join the duo. These musicians bring their own personalities to the performances, but the album never feels like a succession of guest appearances. The collaborations are integrated into a larger musical vision. That is no small achievement. Jazz has a long history of borrowing, absorbing and transforming ideas from other musical worlds. Yet bringing different influences together does not automatically produce something convincing. Sometimes the result is little more than a collection of styles placed side by side. On Osmosis, the connections feel more organic. The musicians appear to share an understanding of where the music is going, even when the route is not immediately obvious. There is also a broader question here about the way musical traditions are treated today. Cultural exchange has become a familiar part of the language used to promote new recordings. Mixing genres is often presented as an achievement in itself, as though the mere presence of different influences guarantees originality. But genuine exchange requires more than borrowing a sound or adding a particular rhythm to an arrangement. It requires familiarity, respect and an understanding of what those musical elements can contribute.
The jazz tradition has always been shaped by such encounters. Its history cannot be separated from the movement of people, ideas and musical forms across continents and generations. It has developed through the meeting of African and European traditions, through popular music and classical influences, through collective improvisation and individual expression. Its vitality has depended on its ability to respond to the world around it.
The challenge for musicians is to make those encounters meaningful. That is where I think Zohar and Adam have found something worth pursuing. They do not approach hip-hop, electronic music or other rhythmic traditions as fashionable additions to an established jazz framework. These sounds appear to belong naturally to their musical experience. The brothers have grown up listening to a world in which the boundaries between genres are already porous. Their task is not to explain why these influences belong together, but to discover what they can make of them.
In this respect, their approach brings to mind some of the more interesting projects associated with ACT, where artists have been encouraged to develop individual musical identities rather than conform to a recognizable house style. The best producers understand that their role is not necessarily to impose an aesthetic, but to create the conditions in which musicians can realize their ideas. On Osmosis, Zohar and Adam take responsibility for that process themselves. They are credited as the album’s producers, and the record reflects a clear sense of direction without becoming overly controlled. That independence is particularly welcome in an industry increasingly shaped by streaming platforms and algorithmic recommendations. Music is often expected to make an immediate impression, to establish its identity within seconds and to fit comfortably into categories that can be marketed to particular audiences. Albums that require a little patience can easily be overlooked. Osmosis does not demand an unusual amount of concentration, but it does reward attentive listening. Its appeal lies partly in the details that emerge over time, in the shifts of texture and rhythm that might pass unnoticed on a more casual first encounter.
I would not want to turn this into an argument about the state of the music industry, or to suggest that every adventurous album represents an act of resistance. Music should not have to justify itself through a larger cultural statement. Sometimes a record is simply successful because the musicians have something to say and have found an effective way of saying it. That is certainly part of the pleasure of listening to Osmosis. I was genuinely surprised by how consistently engaging the album remained. There is a care in the arrangements, an attention to detail and a sense of interaction that make repeated listening worthwhile. Some passages hold the attention through their energy; others are more restrained, revealing their character gradually. The album has enough movement to remain engaging, but it never mistakes complexity for depth. Its musicians are clearly accomplished, yet technical ability is not the point. What matters is how they use it. The album’s first radio airings begin on November 1, ahead of its official release on November 6, 2026. For listeners discovering Zohar and Adam through this first full-length statement, Osmosis offers a persuasive introduction to a duo with a distinctive musical outlook. I would recommend it to anyone interested in contemporary jazz that is comfortable moving beyond established conventions, but also to listeners who simply enjoy encountering musicians with a genuine sense of curiosity.
It may be too early to decide what label, if any, should eventually be attached to this kind of music. Post-jazz, hybrid jazz, contemporary fusion: all are possible descriptions, but none seems entirely necessary at this stage. Categories tend to emerge after the music has already begun to take shape. For now, I would rather leave Osmosis where it belongs, in that open territory where different influences can coexist without having to be explained away.
By the time the album reached its final moments, the sun had disappeared behind the curtains and the evening had settled in. I had remained with the music throughout, following its changes of direction and discovering details that had not immediately caught my attention. That, perhaps, is one of the simplest and most reliable measures of a successful record: the desire to stay with it, to listen again, and to find that the experience has not been exhausted.
Zohar and Adam are not claiming to reinvent jazz. Nor do they need to. What they demonstrate is that a tradition remains alive when musicians engage with it honestly, bring their own experiences to it and allow themselves the freedom to move beyond its familiar boundaries. Their music reflects a generation for whom jazz is not an isolated inheritance, but part of a much larger musical world.
Osmosis leaves me wanting to hear what these two brothers will do next. It encourages further exploration, not only of their own work but of the many artists who are finding new ways to inhabit jazz today. That is no small achievement. And for me, it is one of the qualities that make this album worth remembering.
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 2nd, 2026
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Musicians :
Zohar Cabo: Nord Stage 3 (1-4, 6-8, 10), Piano (5, 9), Vocals (6)
Adam Cabo: Drums (1-4, 6-8, 10), Timbales (3), Congas (3), Cowbell (3), Cajon (5, 9), Vocals (6), Background Vocals (10)
Nory: Vocals (3)
J3PO: Keyboards/Synths (3)
Nate Allen: Upright Bass (3)
Christian McBride: Upright Bass (4)
Steve Wilson: Soprano Saxophone (4)
Noga Cabo: Acoustic Guitar (6), Electric Bass (6), Vocals (6)
Dassi Rosenkrantz: Fretless Bass (6)
Ian Ackerman: Electric Guitar (7)
Ben Mizrach: Alto Saxophone (8)
Hadrien Feraud: Electric Bass (10)
Skylar Tang: Trumpet (10)
Track Listing:
- Intro 0:58
- Dying Hands 4:32
- Demon (feat. Nory and J3PO) 3:39
- For Chick (feat. Christian McBride and Steve Wilson) 8:13
- back home 1:17
- The Table (feat. Noga Cabo) 5:45
- Message From Above 3:38
- Just One of Us (feat. Ben Mizrach) 7:37
- trust fall 1:18
- Osmosis (feat. Hadrien Feraud and Skylar Tang) 6:24
Producers: Zohar Cabo, Adam Cabo
Executive Producers: Evan Rogers, Carl Sturken, Richard Cabo, Dassi Rosenkrantz, and Al Hemberger
Recorded at The Loft Recording Studios in Bronxville, NY – November 2023 – February 2025
Engineers: Zohar Cabo, Adam Cabo
Additional Recording: Al HembergerMixed at The Cabo Project in Beacon, NY
Engineer: Adam Cabo
Additional Mixing: Zohar Cabo
Mastering Engineer: Harold Larue