Tal Mashiach Releases New Album Who’s Around?
JGT contributor Joe Barth talks with guitarist Tal Mashiach about his new album, Who’s Around?.
Busy performing on both the guitar and the upright bass, Tal Mashiach has made his home in New York City since 2015. Born in Israel, Tal began studying classical guitar at age ten and added the upright bass at age seventeen. He has just released a new album, Who’s Around, in July of this year.
JB: Before I ask about the new album, you haven’t been featured in Jazz Guitar Today. Briefly tell me about yourself. You were born in Israel and have primarily studied classical guitar. When did you start to play jazz guitar, and in those early years, what was most helpful in your personal development as a guitarist?
TM: I grew up in a small village in northern Israel called Harashim. As a young guitarist, I spent years immersed in the music of composers like Heitor Villa-Lobos, Francisco Tárrega, Isaac Albéniz, and, of course, Bach. Being exposed to such profound and beautiful music at an early age had a lasting impact on both my guitar playing and my compositions.
I’ve always been curious about music from different cultures. Alongside classical music and jazz, I was deeply drawn to Brazilian, South American, and Spanish musical traditions and guitar repertoire. Those influences naturally became part of my musical language.
Looking back, I think my development as a guitarist came from the combination of classical technique, jazz improvisation, and the rhythmic and harmonic richness of Brazilian and South American music. Those worlds continue to shape the way I play and write today.
JB: What are three of the most influential guitar albums to you and your personal development as a guitarist, and why?
TM: The first would be Friday Night in San Francisco by Al Di Meola, John McLaughlin, and Paco de Lucía. I listened to this record with my family on car rides long before I played guitar, so it was really my first introduction to the instrument. The energy, the flamenco influences, and the incredible communication between the three guitarists still inspire me today.
The second is Together Again by Julian Bream and John Williams. They are two of my favorite classical guitarists, and I love how differently they approach the instrument while complementing each other so beautifully. Their sound and musical connection inspired me.
The third is Os Afro-Sambas by Baden Powell and Vinicius de Moraes. Baden Powell’s music combines Afro-Brazilian rhythms with beautiful harmonies in a unique way. This album deeply influenced my musical language, and to me it feels like a spiritual journey as much as a musical one.
JB: On your new album, Who’s Around?, you have written all the music and open the album with the lively “Titu.” Tell us about this tune.
TM: “Titu” is a tune I wrote during my travels in South America. It’s heavily inspired by Brazilian samba, a style of music that has had a profound influence on me over the years. The track features the incredible and my long-time collaborator, Anat Cohen, on clarinet, and it was a joy to have her on it because we share a deep love for Brazilian music. No one plays a melody like Anat does.
JB: I can’t ask about every song. Tell us about “Creta”.
TM: “Creta” was born on the Greek island of Crete and was inspired by a chance encounter in a seaside taverna. While traveling there, I joined two local musicians for their weekly gig and was introduced to the evocative *Sabah* mode. That experience stayed with me, and I reimagined it as a kind of Greek blues. The song features the wonderful Panagiotis Andreou on bass, who also makes his debut as a lyricist. I play nylon-string guitar alongside Konstantinos Revelas on the traditional Greek bouzouki, and the piece is set in a 9/8 groove inspired by the traditional Greek *zeibekiko* rhythm.
JB: What special musical satisfaction do you find in working with all the many instruments you have on this recording?
TM: Working with so many different instruments on this recording was one of the greatest joys of making the album. I think of my compositions as stories, and each instrument is like a different character with its own voice. A bouzouki tells a story differently than a clarinet, a cello, or a nylon-string guitar. Since every piece on the album was inspired by a different place in the world, I wanted to include instruments that are deeply connected to those traditions. For example, on “Ajaruli,” you can hear the Georgian Doli drum, which brings an authentic sound and spirit to the music. To me, these instruments are like different spices. When you combine them with sounds from other musical traditions, they create something new while still honoring their origins.
JB: What do you appreciate most about the classical guitar you play?
TM: This particular classical guitar was made in Valencia, Spain, and I’ve been playing it for over a decade. It has been with me through many different chapters of my life and musical journey. What I appreciate most about it is its warm, rich tone and its wide dynamic range. It allows me to play with great nuance and expression.
JB: Tell us about “Lama Ken Lama Lo,” a song with a wide dynamic range.
TM: “Lama Ken Lama Lo” is the most ambitious and layered composition on the album and, in many ways, serves as a musical summary of the record. It moves through several sections and features the largest ensemble, taking the listener on a journey. The piece begins with a powerful electric sound inspired by blues and rock before opening into a more intimate world led by the classical guitar. Along the way, it brings together many of the musical influences that shaped the album—jazz, rock, classical music, Cuban rumba, and Latin rhythms. It features percussionist Victor Pablo from Puerto Rico and pianist Gabriel Chakarji from Venezuela. To me, it brings all of these musical worlds together into one piece.
JB: You close the album with “Duo,” which features guitar, cello, and voice.
TM: I decided to close the album with “Duo” because it began as a very intimate piece for guitar and voice, featuring the incredible vocalist Dana Herz, who is also my wife. When I first heard the simple recording of just guitar and voice, I could already hear a whole symphony around it. The amazing cellist Maya Belzitzman added twelve layers of cello that wrap around the guitar and voice, bringing depth and color while preserving the intimacy of the song. There’s also something symbolic about ending the album with my musical and life partner.
