Israeli-born, Denmark-based, classically-trained pianist-composer Eyal Lovett is deeply immersed in the jazz tradition. His fifth solo album Where Do We Go From Here? features Lovett in a classic jazz piano trio with Czech, Aalborg-based double bass player Jan Sedlák (who played in Lovett’s previous album, Through the Rain, Berthold, 2022) and Israeli drummer Yogev Shetrit.

Lovett attempted before to reflect complex moral issues in his music and Where Do We Go From Here? captures the essence of his turbulent and emotional journey following the harrowing events of October 7th, 2023, in Israel and the Gaza Strip. Most of the pieces were written or re-arranged shortly after these tragic events.

The ten story-like pieces offer delicate and nuanced melodies that balance sorrow and resilience but often lean toward the lyrical and melancholic as the heart-wrenching «Dark Days», «The Children», or Shetrit’s mantra-like «Prayer for Healing». Other pieces like the title piece articulate an innocent, vulnerable quest for direction in uncertain times. The cover of the Israeli song «The Wheat Grows Again» suggests a glimmer of hope amidst despair. The album ends with another cover of an Israeli song, an understated interpretation of «Under Mediterranean Skies», by Israeli singer-songwriter Shlomo Artzi which describes the paradoxical madness and the beauty of Lovett’s homeland.

Lovett’s rich and inclusive musical vision encompasses subtle elements from J.S. Bach, traditional Arabic, Mediterranean, and African music (listen to the gentle Gnawa groove of «Yogi», titled after Shetrit’s nickname), and Jewish prayers. It creates a musical universe that is both personal and universally resonant. This album asks the always relevant question in this troubled region of the globe but radiates the enduring human spirit beautifully through eras of deep pain and fragile hope.

Eyal Hareuveni

Eyal Lovett (piano) Jan Sedlák (bass), Yogev Shetrit (drums)