Doc Jazz is a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist hailing from Palestine. His day job is as a surgeon, but his burgeoning music career has combined with his understandable passion regarding the military occupation of Palestine and resulted in a huge fanbase on social media sites. Musically, I would classify the genre as jazz-funk but essentially it is still pop music, and you can hear the influence of artists like Stevie Wonder and Jamiroquai.
Since 2001, his songs have specifically dealt with the Israel/Palestine conflict, and that is very much the case with this track, Rising Tide. Beginning with a snare roll that creates anticipatory tension it then launches into a funky verse, with some sharp guitar and bass playing. Doc has a good singing voice that suits the song and is easy on the ear and although the lyrics are very serious, the music is upbeat and so helps the positive message shine through.
The titles refers to the rising tide of social awareness and protest against the issues and injustice of the political situation. This is captured in the catchy chorus which runs “There’s nowhere to hide, can’t break our stride, we’re coming like a rising tide….”. The overall message is hopeful, with the final lyrics being “Can be no accepting oppression and despair, racist domination will no longer be there….”. Extra plaudits should go to backing singer Maxi, whose vocals help add a nice soul feel to the track.
Overall, this is a well written, performed and produced song that works simply as an enjoyable piece of music, but is all the more powerful for the noble spiritual and political message behind the words. Such bravery in tacking a difficult subject matter should be applauded. I expect Doc Jazz to continue to grow in popularity and hopefully one day he will be able to write a song celebrating the resolution of a conflict that has run on for decades.
Alex Faulkner
Verdict: 8.8 out of 10
The Faulkner Review 
Love the song! You really have captired the essence of the song in this review.