Podcast 887: A Conversation with Eli Degibri

It's been seven years since Tel Aviv-based saxophonist-composer Eli Degibri has released an album of original music. However, that drought ends this week with the release of his deeply personal album of tunes, Henri and Rachel. Recorded on March 9, 2020, days before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Henri and Rachel is Degibri's first album of original music since 2015, when he recorded Cliff Hanging, which earned a 5-star review from DownBeat (a 2018 release, Soul Station, was a tune-for-tune homage to one of Degibri's heroes, tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley and his iconic 1960 Blue Note album of that name). During those years, Degibri, an only child, was preoccupied not only with his musical production, but with caring for his aging and ailing parents, who both emigrated to Israel following World War II. His father, Henri, a native of Bulgaria who passed away in the fall of 2020, developed cancer; his mother, Rachel, born in Iran, developed Parkinson's Disease and dementia.  As a result, his compositions, whether consciously or not, are infused with a sense of longing, shifting feelings, and love. Eli has worked with his current rhythm section – Tom Oren on piano, Alon Near on bass (the most recent member), and Eviatar Slivnik on drums – for the last four years, and their camaraderie translates into some wonderful playing. Whether it's the aptly titled "Longing," the melodic title track (performed in two versions, in two different keys, one for the masculine, the other the feminine) or the straight ahead "Preaching to the Choir," the tunes and playing make for an emotionally satisfying listen. Degibri has been in the spotlight since 1999, when Ron Carter – a mentor at the Thelonious Monk Institute, who in 2009 recorded on Degibri's Israeli Song with Brad Mehldau and Al Foster – recommended him to Herbie Hancock for what would be a 30-month stint performing repertoire from Hancock's Grammy-winning Gershwin's World album. He further refined his artistry as a member of Foster's group from 2002 until 2011, and as the leader of bands that included such internationally acclaimed musicians as Aaron Goldberg, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Ben Street, Jeff Ballard, Kevin Hays, Gary Versace, Gregory Hutchinson, and Obed Calvaire. For years he was the artistic director of the Red Sea Jazz Festival in Eilat, a world-class event. Podcast 887 is my conversation with Eli, as talk about the emotional process of turning his feelings regarding his parents' decline and passing into music, and the importance of his close relationship with his band. He also pays tribute to Hank Mobley and Ron Carter, the latter of whom will celebrate his 85th birthday later this year. Musical selections from Henri and Rachel include the title track and "Don Quixote," a tune dedicated to his late father.