Itamar Borochov Quartet
Smalls183 West 10th Street, New York 10014
Itamar Borochov brings his quartet to Smalls for a late-night set. The billed group is led by the Israeli-born, New York-based trumpeter and composer, though the personnel for this particular performance have not been specified. Borochov’s quartet work places trumpet within a setting that draws together jazz and the musical traditions of the Middle East and North Africa.
Raised in Jaffa, Borochov describes this music as bringing “the sacred sounds of his upbringing to a jazz quartet setting” and creating “a new musical hybrid.” His 2023 album Arba used trumpet, piano, double bass and drums, with Borochov also adding voice and effects. He has toured internationally, and the quartet was selected for WOMEX 2019. His collaborators include Yemen Blues, Rabbi Haim Louk, the New Jerusalem Orchestra and Dudu Tassa, while his performing and recording credits include Curtis Fuller, Candido Camero, Aaron Goldberg, Greg Tardy and Omer Avital. Reviewers have called the music “rich, detailed and engrossing,” marked by “haunting lyricism and quiet power”; The Jazz Mann hears “an understated virtuosity and a simmering, low key intensity.”
Smalls is a basement jazz club where the music feels immediate and unfiltered, with the stage just a few feet from the audience. The room is compact, with simple seating that encourages close listening, and a bar that serves drinks but no full kitchen, so the focus stays on the performances. Shows typically feature multiple sets, often extending late into the night with jam sessions that invite spontaneous creativity. The club’s walls are adorned with photos and memorabilia that reflect its deep roots in New York’s jazz scene. The audience is there to listen intently, creating a shared experience where every note can be savored. Expect an evening where the energy of live jazz is palpable and the musicians’ passion fills the intimate space.