The Philadelphia Inquirer
September 21, 2006

GILAD HEKSELMAN: "SplitLife" (Smalls 3 stars)

Guitarist Gilad Hekselman lays down some stirring lines on this trio recording with Philly native and drummer Ari Hoenig.

A 23-year-old Israeli, Hekselman followed several of his jazz-playing countrymen in becoming a frequent performer at the New York jazz club Smalls. He also won the 2005 Gibson Montreux International Guitarist Competition at the Montreux Jazz Festival.

Hekselman is a subtle player who holds the spotlight with tasteful runs. He seeks out transcendental lines and often finds them.

Some of his tunes are upscale pretty, such as "The Summer of Laughs and Tears." So, too, is his sensitive rendering of the standard "I Should Care."

Hoenig, a craftsman, fashions some simpatico dialogues with the leader and bassist Joe Martin, a regular collaborator with Philly" uber-guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel.

Hekselman doesn't clamor for attention. His playing, though, is quietly persuasive.

- Karl Stark