Jon Madof Trio / Netzach

Few things are more exciting than a new Jon Madof project. I first came to hear his music with the Rashanim, who were doing wonderful, noisy guitar things with John Zorn's "Masada" tunes. Now, he has a new trio and is writing his own all-over-the-map exciting music. The opening "Achdut (for Yossi Klein Halevi)" moves between surf rock chords and heavy metal, exploring several dimensions of interesting jazzy guitar along with way. The tumult continues. With Yoshi Fruchter on bass and Nate Rappaport on drums, the sounds is full, solid—the sort of interesting interplay that rewards multiple listenings.

Of special note are "Urim" and "The Beautiful Six," the former a gentle accoustic riff and exploration; the latter an intriguing finger-picked quiet guitar piece that slowly dials up the intensity with bursts of heavy metal. The opening for "Shimi," on the other hand, is vaguely reminiscent of early Led Zeppelin (and then moves on, of course). The album closes with a bluesy finger-picking tribute to Derek Trucks. Very satisfying.

Reviewed by Ari Davidow, 20-Aug-2026

Songs

1. Achdut (for Yossi Klein Halevi) 5:21
2. Makaf 6:54/li>
3. Invisible Alchemy (for John Zorn) 6:36
4. The Beautiful Six (for Alexander, Almog, Carmel, Eden, Hersh, and Ori) 8:21
5. Urim 6:02
6. The Mask Drops 4:15
7. Shimi 3:06
8. These Broken People Are the Messengers of God (for Nick Cave) 6:19
9. A Pure Heart (for Derek Trucks) 3:38

All compositions by Jon Madof.