Oded Tzur - Translator's Note

Oded Tzur, a New York City-based saxophonist, composer and bandleader's 2018 album 'Translator's Note', now available on vinyl for the first time. Featuring pianist (and ECM recording artist) Shai Maestro, bassist Petros Klampanis and drummer Ziv Ravitz

In 2012, Oded led a rehearsal in Brooklyn with Shai Maestro, Petros Klampanis and Ziv Ravitz. The immediate connection between the four musicians led to the creation of the Oded Tzur Quartet, an ensemble that explores relationships between the jazz setting and Indian music's melodic architecture.

Tzur's work draws on Indian classical music and Jazz, and explores fundamental connections between different musical traditions. Tzur is also responsible for the development of Middle Path, a saxophone technique that extends the instrument's microtonal capacity. Coming from the Tel Aviv jazz scene Oded Tzur's musical background consisted of rigorous training in a number of musical styles. His curiosity for improvised music led him to discover the ancient art of Indian classical music, which has become the main focus of his work.

In order to pursue the rare prospect of playing Indian music - a style heavily based on microtonality - on a western instrument such as the saxophone, Tzur dedicated about 10 years to the work of expanding the instrument's microtonal scope.