Tal Yahalom is an award-winning jazz guitarist and composer and you’ll be getting a preview of his compelling quintet album Mirror Image  with  refreshingly unique instrumentation: violin, cello, percussion, sax and flute and both nylon-string and electric guitar. You’ll be hearing excerpts from the album and hear about Tal’s creative process and collaborators including percussioninst Rogerio Boccato and David Leon on sax and flute. Tal told me about some great advice he got from Pat Metheny, whom he met  when Tal won the Detroit Jazz Festival National Guitar Competition, and the invaluable guidance of key mentors throughout his education and career. Tal recently came back from musically immersive travels in Brazil and Argentina, and it was inspiring to hear about his experiences their as well as hear about several of his collaborators,  including his band KADAWA, and we’re featuring a track from their new album as well. Towards the end of this interview, Tal shared some personal reflections on his new duo with vocalist Danielle Wertz, and some very wise insights into student-centered learning, which I think apply quite broadly, not just to music.  Like all my episodes, you can watch this on my YouTube channel or listen to the podcast on all the podcast platforms, and I’ve also linked the transcript to my website https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/tal-yahalom

Tal Yahalom Website Mirror Image Album (pre-order link; releasing March 21, 2025)

KADAWA band

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Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(02:49) album Mirror Image

(07:00) clip of KIM from Mirror Image

(07:29) about Prelude, use of strings

(09:30) clip of Prelude from Mirror Image

(11:13) album set list, listening parties

(14:01)Argentian grandfather, trip to Brazil and Argentina, Vardan Ovsepian

(17:26) Rogerio Boccato, Brazil trip, Gian Correa

(22:43) clip from Chorinho for Tati from Mirror Image

(23:28) Brazil trip

(25:43) creative process, about Hymn for Tomorrow

(28:56) excerpt from Hymn for Tomorrow

(30:22) album art Linnea Lieth, Tal’s creative process

(35:09) other episodes linked to this one and different ways to support this series

(36:04) Tal’s creative process

(40:26) percussionist Rogerio Boccato

(43:50) clip of Dusk on Landwehr Canal

(45:10) David Leon sax and flute player 

(47:39) story of Sophianic Mess

(51:04) clip of Sophianic Mess

(51:47) band KADAWA Almog Sharvit, Ben Silashi

(55:58) KADAWA Salhov Syndrome from Post Graduation Fees

(01:02:11) Tal’s experience of student-led education, guitar teacher Shai Chen

(01:05:36) the