Yoni Mayraz is a London-based keyboardist and producer whose sophomore album Dogs Bark Babies Cry instantly blew me away. Released via Pino Palladino & David Passick's PPK Records, the album features a galaxy of talent including bassist Tom Driessler (Yussef Dayes, Adele), rapper Fly Anakin, harpist Miriam Adefris, and Portuguese drumming prodigy Zoe Pascal, to name a few.
Yoni has been steadily carving out his own corner of the modern jazz world since the release of his Rough Cuts EP back in 2020. His debut album, Dybbuk Tse!, took things several steps further, earning widespread praise from the likes of KEXP, KCRW, Bandcamp Daily, Gilles Peterson on BBC 6 Music, and TJ Gorton of SFJAZZ, and establishing him as one of the more exciting voices in the contemporary scene. Since then, Yoni has been putting the work in where it matters most - on stage. From Montreux Jazz Festival to London's legendary The Jazz Cafe and Ronnie Scott's, he's spent the past few years sharpening his live sound, growing an international audience, and pushing his relationship with jazz further. Now, with a new album on the horizon for fall 2025, Mayraz looks ready to open another chapter in his wonderfully unpredictable journey through modern jazz.
Channeling a lot of psychedelic and Middle Eastern influences, the album feels like a trip in the desert. "Dogs Bark Babies Cry is the moment when a commotion takes place. Dogs start barking, babies cry. It’s an ominous sound, yet a natural one. One that can be heard from afar," explains Mayraz.
The fact that the whole thing was recorded live at London's iconic Konk Studios only adds to that feeling, giving the record a wonderfully warm, lived-in character while keeping the trio's chemistry front and centre. What I really love, though, is how Mayraz manages to make all these influences feel like parts of the same strange universe - from Fly Anakin's jazz-rap on "Ice Cold" to the beautiful harp-led textures of "Trip to Japan" - there’s always another little door to open! Also, in case you care, the reason why I fell in love with this expansive record (yes, you need to listen in full) was "Rooftops".
I appreciate the folklore references and the odd timing signatures paired with a sense of spiritualism. Built on a lot of 70s jazz funk grooves, the album feels like the soundtrack to an old detective story, and I’m all in for that.
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