Gilgul: Jazz album draws on Jewish musical traditions
Guitarist David Dorůžka, regarded as one of Czechia’s leading jazz musicians, teamed up with flutist Robert Fischmann and drummer Martin Novák to record an album inspired by Jewish music. Called Gilgul, which means “cycle” in Hebrew, it has recently been awarded the Czech Music Academy Anděl award for the best jazz album of the year. You can listen to excerpts from the record in today’s edition of Sunday Music Show.
The trio, including jazz guitarist David Dorůžka, flutist Robert Fischmann and percussionist Martin Novák, formed in late 2020 with the aim to create new music that would develop the various Jewish musical traditions that have evolved over many centuries in different regions of Europe and the Middle East.
All three musicians have been involved in Jewish music before. This time, however, they came with a very unusual concept and sound, based on unusual instrumentation and mixing liturgical Hasidic melodies from Eastern Europe with melodies from medieval Spain, Ashkenazi Yiddish songs as well as inspirations from New York's downtown scene.
The trio came together especially for the recording of the album Gilgul, which was released last year. Robert Fischmann is otherwise engaged in the Neřež Trio and in the band Bran, which plays Breton and Celtic music. David Dorůžka has recently been performing with the Polish pianist Piotr Wyleżoł and the American drummer Jeff Ballard. The third member of the trio, Martin Novák, is currently also a member of the bluegrass formation Druhá tráva.
