Oz Noy: Twisted Blues Vol. 1

Oz Noy: Twisted Blues Vol. 1
Oz Noy was a member of Israeli television’s most popular late night show’s house band. He was essentially the Jimmy Vivino of Israeli. When he came to America in 1996, he built a following with his complex mixture of jazz, rock, and blues. Now a decade and a half since his arrival in America, he releases his most high profile album to date, Twisted Blues Vol. 1.
What makes Twisted Blues Vol. 1 so special is the personnel on the album. The guest list reads like a who’s who of modern jazz. Vinnie Colaiuta, who is best known for his work with Frank Zappa, mans the drums. Will Lee from The World’s Most Dangerous Band, the house band on NBC’s Late Night with David Letterman, splits bass time with Roscoe Beck. Much of the organ work on the album is done by John Medeski. Despite that impressive list, Oz Noy is not just the band leader but the lead performer on every track.
On the album’s titular track, Medeski and Colaiuta open the track with a funky syncopated rhythm while Noy just accentuates it with his guitar. But then a half minute in, Oz Noy takes the reigns and never gives them back. His guitar blazes with the fire of Stevie Ray Vaughn but in a genre more familiar to Eddie Hazel. Other tracks like “Whole Tone Blues” let Oz Noy really channel his inner Stevie Ray Vaughn in a way not many guitar players can.
The guitar prowess featured on Twisted Blues Vol. 1 is obviously top notch but some tracks, like the eight-plus-minute “Two Centers,” feel a little long. For fans of instrumental jazz, blues, or rock, Oz Noy probably has something for them.
Rating: 7.4/10
MP3: Oz Noy “Twisted Blues”
Buy: iTunes