Shai Maestro Live at De Doelen Rotterdam

The Guesthouse marks a pivotal moment in Shai Maestro’s creative journey. After almost three years of work, he expanded on the totally open-ended improvisation of his solo playing by shaping a sound driven by more focused songwriting and dynamic production. It is an album that balances his jazz background with a new approach, combining acoustic and electronic elements. The songs are short, focused and with a clear and strong form, allowing each piece to stand out as its own story. During the pandemic, Maestro delved into the world of music production, learning its craft to expand his palette beyond the acoustic traditions he grew up with. This journey allowed him to explore a broader sonic landscape, blending textures and creating sounds that were previously out of reach. The album is deeply collaborative, featuring contributions from a diverse range of artists who brought their own perspectives to each track. While he still heavily draws on his jazz roots, Shai Maestro has opened the doors to a wide range of influences and sounds. Many pieces took shape in his home studio in Spain, inspired by the diverse musical styles of artists ranging from Rosalía to Paul Simon and John Coltrane, whose rhythms, storytelling, and harmonies shaped the album. Other parts of the record were made at Nilento Studios in Sweden with his trio, keeping human interaction as the main thread. For the first time, Maestro ventured into lyric writing, unveiling a previously unexplored facet of his artistry. This creative foray was profoundly influenced by his recent immersion in Buddhist philosophy, mirroring the transformative personal journey that began with his move to Spain and the fresh start it heralded.