Shalosh

“We always give everything, physically and emotionally,” says Gadi Stern about performing live. The Israeli is the pianist with the band Shalosh, which is Hebrew for “three”. Three musicians, one dazzling sound. Shalosh – who are celebrating their tenth anniversary in 2023 – are not a standard piano trio. Dramatic arpeggios meet catchy melodies and powerful chords. Shalosh make jazz albums that are actually rock albums. And vice versa. One of their songs is called “Children of the 90s” – Nirvana and Brad Mehldau are models, as are Brahms and The Bad Plus. And the trio’s programme also includes a brilliant “Take On Me” cover. They have long created a cosmos of their own, and on their new album Tales of Utopia they sound more reflective than ever.