Blue beard is the new jazz

Like the previous one, I wrote the following article after the showcase concerts I watched at Jazzahead in 2021, but I had not publish it. Ron Minis' new album 'SmartPhones, Stupid People' was released on digital platforms on the 1st of September. I strongly advise you to listen. The review is old, but my feelings remain with an added excitement now by representing him in Turkey.

Ron Minis Trio

The most original and exciting discovery for me was Ron Minis Trio from Israel. Ron Minis is a classically trained pianist and composer, but also a guitarist and drummer with a passion for punk and heavy metal. He carries this passion to jazz with his piano trio. Sometimes he plays guitar, sometimes the black and white keys cease to be a piano under his hands and turn into a guitar. We're not talking about a quiet jazz guitar, it's a blazing distortion guitar and effects. Classical influences, the melodies of his homeland, and swing are also in his piano playing. Sometimes you flow with a soft melody, sometimes the 'metalhead' (this is how he calls himself) comes out and the music throws you off with a rhythm that shakes you in and out, but these transitions are in great harmony, as natural as human emotional changes. Ron Minis is an intriguing storyteller who demands your attention all the way. The solid foundation created by Bar Filipowicz on double bass and Yogev Gabay on drums gives him the luxury of being himself as much as he wants, the harmony of the trio that creates a great energy is exquisite. It is possible to call Ron Minis' attitude towards jazz avant-garde, but this unique world he created is just as musical. I am sure we will hear his name a lot from now on. His first album 'Pale Blue Dot' was released at the end of 2018, and the second album 'Smart Phones, Stupid People' is on the way.

Aside from the uniqueness of his music, Ron Minis has Youtube videos that went viral with millions of views. Especially ‘When You Want To Play Solos Like Slash / Metallica / Queen And Your Russian Parents Made You Learn Piano’ series is very entertaining. During his online concert at Jazzahead, an audience member wrote, "I think Slash would love to play the piano like you", I agree J