Albert Dadon was born in Morocco and grew up in Israel and France before moving to Melbourne, Australia in 1983 at the age of 27. As well as performing as Albare, he founded the Australian Jazz Awards in 2003, and five years later received the Order of Australia for services to the arts. This 2013 album found Albare providing guitar and synth guitar, and he was joined by Phil Turcio (piano), Yunior Terry (bass) and Pablo Bencid (drums). Allan Harris guests on vocals on one number, “Overjoyed”, but the rest is instrumental, and Albare’s synth guitar sometimes provides the sound of a wailing trombone that is so in keeping with the rest of the jazz that is on show.
His own sound is that of a laid-back Carlos Santana, but here grooving very much in a jazz vein, bringing in hints of blues and his own Morroccan roots while also encompassing other forms and making it all very complete and polished indeed. According to Albare himself, “ “The Road Ahead” is a prayer for what lies ahead of us.. the scales used are borrowed from the Jewish Sephardic Moroccan tradition, and we also borrow from the blues tradition, so this makes an interesting fusion and hopefully it translates into an equally interesting linstening”. That is something of an understatement.
These guys have the understanding of each other that only comes with long hours spent on the road. There is a period during “The Gift” where Pablo is going absolutely mad on the kit, and the others just play the odd notes or chords here and there, and it comes together in a completeness and understanding that few artists ever achieve. This is a mature work that oozes class, by musicians who understand that note density is never the answer, and that fluidity and understanding of the musical journet is what really matters. This is a wonderful album, highly recommended.
