“Udi Shlomo’s You & Me is a testament to the drummer’s unique blend of influences, offering a fascinating exploration of “World Jazz.” With a firm grounding in various cultural musical traditions, Shlomo navigates the spectrum of moods and rhythms in each track. Shlomo’s presence is always palpable, guiding the ensemble with a supportive and vibrant touch from behind the drum set. The result is that You & Me brings attention to Shlomo’s status as a musical raconteur and a standout figure in the evolving world of jazz.” Ferell Aubre – The Jazz Word
“Udi Shlomo’s You & Me is a testament to the drummer’s unique blend of influences, offering a fascinating exploration of “World Jazz.” With a firm grounding in various cultural musical traditions, Shlomo navigates the spectrum of moods and rhythms in each track. Shlomo’s presence is always palpable, guiding the ensemble with a supportive and vibrant touch from behind the drum set. The result is that You & Me brings attention to Shlomo’s status as a musical raconteur and a standout figure in the evolving world of jazz.” Ferell Aubre – The Jazz Word
“The energetic interplay of the entire quintet, driven by the lead drummer, enriched us with another very special, beneficial jazz experience”
“This quintet gives solid musical pleasure. A bunch of great musicians make a bunch of well composed music with indestructible arrangements and compositions. Music that you would like to immerse yourself in, that you would like to be surrounded by. What more do you need?”
“Hallelujah, mobilize the songs on this CD. Very soon you’ll raise your bosom and start dancing along when Shlomo is on the move with his quintet (…) The bottom line is that fantastic world jazz is on offer on the sound carrier. Udi plays the melodies of his homeland in a fiery jazz version. Abramov and Schilderink shine with great solos and create a fat, voluminous brass sound. Shlomo himself is an extremely versatile drummer who has the rhythms firmly in his hands. “Ki Eshmera” is a traditional Hebrew song; all other songs are influenced in the same way by folk songs; aesthetically elegant melodies are convincing. Except for “Into the Blue” with its hymn-like character, the accelerator pedal is pressed down, pumping positive happy vibes. Recommended!”
“…Shlomo’s percussion is in fact one of the most compelling aspects (…) he is all over his kit, splashing and clicking and ticking and thumping and rattling, sometimes with clear timing and patterns, sometimes just adding percussive color, and other times just flailing about even though he always remains purposeful and very, very clean. There are moments where his ability to produce what we hear with only his two hands and feet is shrouded in mystery…”
“Some music I enjoy in an intellectual way, and some music in a physical way, but in this concert I had it both…this music must be out there!”
“With his band, he brings such an unconventional view of coexistence, humility and opened the door to his world of jazz” music!
“Sitting still is difficult when listening”
“Constant confirmations that we were dealing with future voices that are guaranteed to make a strong impact in the years to come (…) what they had to report was the real kind – this was music they believed in and that really mattered. Highlights? Many!”