Shai Maestro shines at Ronnie Scott’s EFG London Jazz Fest show

Following the success of his two recent albums on the ECM label, The Dream Thief (2018) and Human (2021), pianist Shai Maestro has been rapidly establishing a reputation as a seriously accomplished jazz pianist.

From the opening for seconds of this gig at Ronnie’s, it was abundantly clear that Maestro has that iconic ECM sound and a style strongly influenced by pianists such as Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett and, more recently, Tigran Hamasyan. Maestro’s music is full of watercolour-like harmonies awash with bubbling triads and resonant pedal tones. But there is also a wonderful precision and melodic sharpness to his improvisational touch. At times harmonically dense, at other times stripped-back and sparse, Maestro’s sound is best showcased in this intimate trio format.

The interplay between the bandmembers was superb. Drummer Ofri Nehemya was particularly impressive, effortlessly matching Maestro for style and technical ability. His drumming was particularly fluid in its frequent pushing and pulling of tempos, and his use of playful decorative flourishes served to highlight the melodicism of Maestro’s solos. Double bassist Orlando Le Fleming skilfully kept the momentum amid this captivating interplay between piano and drums.

The majority of the setlist was comprised of original compositions from The Dream Thief and Human. The trio also performed a touching tribute to drum legend Roy Haynes, who sadly passed away only a few days before the EFG London Jazz Festival 2024 began. This tribute came in the form of several tunes from Chick Corea’s Now He Sings, Now He Sobs, an album on which Haynes had excelled as a sideman. Nehemya’s drum solos were particularly poignant here.

From start to finish, the music was raw and spontaneous. Maestro certainly lives up to his name. He is joy to watch live.