Marking a significant milestone in his artistic journey, celebrated jazz pianist and composer Shai Maestro is set to release his first solo piano album, Solo: Miniatures & Tales, on May 2, 2025, via French label naïve records.
This deeply personal recording showcases Maestro’s evolution as both composer and improviser, highlighting a shift in his creative process where improvisation takes center stage and composition serves more as a point of departure than a fixed endpoint.
“The composition started functioning more as a starting point, rather than a final, polished product,” Maestro explains. “More and more improvisation found its way into the music until at some point, we would never even play the song anymore.” Embracing this freedom has allowed his music to unfold in unexpected, organic ways, and Solo: Miniatures & Tales captures this dynamic interplay – between composition and improvisation, darkness and light, dissonance and consonance.
The album is divided into two parts: Miniatures, a series of brief, spontaneous improvisations, and Tales, longer, more intricate compositions. Maestro sees this release as the first in a lifelong series of solo recordings that will document his ever-evolving relationship with the piano.
To celebrate the launch, he will perform an exclusive pre-release concert on April 10, 2025, at Kraftwerk Berlin as part of FRAMED BERLIN’s debut event, which also features a solo balafon performance by Aly Keïta and access to WE FELT A STAR DYING, an immersive installation by Laure Prouvost.
FACTS
1. Paco De Lucia didn’t know have a strong theoretical harmonic knowledge. It was mainly intuition. Incredible.
2. The present moment is only about 3 seconds long. That’s how long your brain considers “now” before it fades into memory.
3. James Brown used to rehears his bands after the gig ended.
1. What is the biggest inspiration for your music?
I can’t choose just one. I’m an avid consumer of music – I live with it, constantly absorbing and mixing ideas in my head. That blend becomes my inspiration. My colleagues and peers also inspire me deeply – their work pushes me forward and keeps me grounded.
2. How and when did you get into making music?
I started when I was five, through improvisation. I would imitate the sounds of the forest: the low register was thunder, the middle was animals running, and the high register was wind and rain. Later, I studied theory, classical music, and jazz, and learned how to formalize these sounds – but improvisation remains my core language.
3. What are 5 of your favourite albums of all time?
• A Love Supreme – John Coltrane
• Blue Train – John Coltrane
• The Köln Concert – Keith Jarrett
• Night Train – Oscar Peterson
• To Pimp a Butterfly – Kendrick Lamar
4. What do you associate with Berlin?
Berlin, for me, is incredible vegan food and open-minded audiences. When I play something complex or improvisational, I find people there willing to go on the journey with me – and that creates a heart-opening experience.
5. What’s your favourite place in your town?
The meditation center of my partner, Gloria.
6. If there was no music in the world, what would you do instead?
A teacher. 100%.
7. What was the last record/music you bought or listen?
ADN by Alain Pérez — a beautiful album.
8. Who would you most like to collaborate with?
Herbie Hancock. No doubt.
9. What was your best gig (as performer or spectator)?
I recently saw Juana de la Pipa, a flamenco singer, perform in Jerez, Spain. From the moment she stepped on stage to the moment she left, it was deeply emotional and unforgettable.
10. How important is technology to your creative process?
Very. I use digital audio workstations regularly — I’m a dedicated Logic user — to shape, arrange, and produce my compositions. It’s a fundamental tool in my creative process.
11. What would you play for a new audience?
Probably some pieces from my upcoming solo album “Solo: Miniatures & Tales”. But honestly, one of the most beautiful things I can offer an audience is not knowing what I’ll play. I go on stage as empty as I can — and I follow the music. Again and again, that approach has brought out the best in me.
