Nitai Hershkovits in Bonn

It was a funny, but much deserved coincidence, that the award winners of this year’s prestigious German Record Critics’ Award were announced yesterday, the day of pianist Nitai Hershkovits‘ performance at the stunning Beethovenhaus in Bonn. His album “Call On The Old Wise” was one of the Record Of The Year Winners. This, his solo debut for the German-based ECM label, came out at the end of 2023, to much critical acclaim. Ever since the album came out, Nitai toured the world with the quartet of fellow Israeli saxophonist Oded Tzur. His stop in Bonn was the second show of his two-week solo trek through Europe.

I haven’t been to the Kammermusiksaal at Beethovenhaus before and didn’t expect this to be such a tremendously superior sonic experience. The concert was part of the four-piece series “Aspekte” which will continue next month with a solo performance by pianist Marco Mezquida (see list of upcoming shows below). A beautiful Steinway was one of the two stars of the night. Focusing on his concept of projecting colors and textures, rather than preconceived ideas or compositions, Nitai played several of the album’s highly entertaining original compositions, totally reinventing them, adding new layers and features, new motifs and moods and thus, creating some of the most beautiful sound palettes which you can rarely hear these days.

Part of his immensely eclectic mix were compositions by Molly Drake (the absolutely gorgeous “Dream Your Dreams”), Duke Ellington (“Single Petal Of A Rose”), both of which can be found on his award-winning album, Ennio Morricone, and Brazilian composer and pianist Ernesto Nazareth, adding some lightness and airiness to the set. And even though his playing and creating special moods and atmospheres is clearly pretty unique, I was sometimes reminded of the celestial sounds which Chick Corea produced with his “Children’s Songs” back in 1984. Playing around with repetitive chords and freewheeling arpeggios, he brilliantly mastered the art of focusing on shapes and colors, sometimes with a minimalist approach, sometimes with a more swinging, blues-inflected take. Surprisingly enough, he wasn’t only able to paint pictures with each tune, but also made the whole set an intense and wholly luminous entry into his world. In one of his encores, even “Love Me Tender” took on a whole different path: sustaining the beauty of the original composition, Nitai added both oomph and tenderness, both class and modesty to the piece. There was really some outstanding magic in the air. If you happen to be anywhere near his next tour stops, please don’t hesitate to see a master at work:

10/11 Bergamo – Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore
10/13 Affoltern – Kellertheater LaMarotte
10/14 Ulm – Stadthaus
10/15 Leuven – 30CC/Minnepoort
10/16 Harelbeke – Het Spoor
10/18 Salzburg – Jazz & The City
10/19 Ignalina – Paliesius
10/20 Murnau – Culture and Convention Center
10/21 Linz – Klaviersalon Merta
10/27 Cork – Triskel Arts Centre
10/29 Dorking – Watermill Jazz

Next shows of the Aspekte series at Kammermusiksaal, Beethovenhaus:

11/21 Marco Mezquida
02/06 Taiko Saitō & Niko Meinhold
03/12 Shuteen Erdenebaatar Quartet

Special thanks go out to Malte for the tour and invitation, Birgitta and Marcus for the picture and for hosting, and Axel for the picture.