*300 copies limited edition* 577 Records proudly announces Universal Butterfly, a new project shaped over years of shared musical paths, bringing together a striking trio: pianist Milton Michaeli, double bassist Asaf Shchori, and legendary drummer Hamid Drake. At its core, the album presents three distinctive and deeply creative musicians, each with a strong individual voice, coming together in a spirit of openness and mutual respect.
Michaeli’s playing is rooted in jazz and Latin traditions while pushing into new and unexpected territory; Shchori’s bass work moves from deep, swinging grooves and bowed textures to lyrical, melodic lines that expand the instrument’s compositional role; and Drake stands as a living link to the music’s lineage, his rhythmic language spiritual, fluid, and globally informed. The trio’s chemistry feels immediate and natural, resulting in music that is both adventurous and accessible, serious in intent yet full of vitality and character. Bridging generations of free jazz and creative music, Universal Butterfly blends improvisation with original compositions, drawing inspiration from Sun Ra and Ras Michael to create a sound that is at once meditative, expansive, and unmistakably fresh.
