Israeli guitarist Menachem Zibziner was a co-founder of Minuette Jazz. This quartet collaborated with leading artists like free jazz saxophonist Albert Beger, saxophonist Gilad Atzmon, and the world ensemble Bustan Abraham. It dedicated its third album to the great Egyptian vocalist, songwriter, and actor Mohammed Abdel Wahab. Zibziner pursued a hi-tech career and only recently resumed his musical activity.

Pulse is Zibziner’s first album as a bandleader since 1999, and an album that he calls his «homecoming». It is a family album – Zibziner’s son, Itamar Zibziner, plays the drums, and the cover painting was done by Shoshana Zibziner (who also did cover artwork for Minuette.

Zibziner says that his heart began «pulsating again in 2024 as music saved me». The meditative, intimate spirit of the album reflects an innocent attempt to find comfort and refuge in music during the turbulent times after the October 7, 2023, attack and the endless war in Gaza.

Pulse opens with a stripped-down, atmospheric cover of McCoy Tyner’s «Contemplation» (originally from The Real McCoy, Blue Note, 1967), which sets the spirit of the album. Zibziner was inspired by the ECM School of introspective, soulful, and elegant spiritual jazz. He covers Polish master trumpeter Tomasz Stańko’s «Terminal 7» (from Dark Eyes, ECM, 2007), with a minimalist, reserved solo trumpet of Eli Hasson, and Danish guitarist Jakob Bro’s «Strands» (who he played in Dark Eyes; from Returnings, ECM, 2018), with Eli Hasson taking the evocative trumpet role of Palle Mikkelborg). The album ends with a cover of a local singer-songwriter. Eviatar Banai’s touching and hopeful «Yesh Li Sikkuy» (I have a chance), stressing the album’s message of seeking an open, peaceful emotional resonance, a resonant pulse with the music, musicians, and listeners.

Eyal Hareuveni

Menachem Zibziner (guitar), Ron Barzilai (double bass), Itamar Zibziner (drums), Naveh Raz (drums), Eli Hasson (trumpet)