Sun 21 May 2023, 16:00 – Amit Friedman Quartet

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VUCVkP_nJto

"Friedman has a knack for memorable melodies enmeshed in sophisticated and lively arrangements"

All About jazz Saxophonist and composer Amit Friedman is among the leading musicians in the Israeli jazz scene.
Friedman's music is rooted in the jazz tradition and incorporates elements of world music and especially Middle Eastern music. The catchy compositions, which blend sophistication and simplicity, communicate with a wide range of audiences. Often, following a performance, one hears the comment, "I don't like jazz and this music really touched me".
In 2012 Friedman released his debut album "Sunrise" on the American record label Origin Records. The album is comprised wholly of original material performed by a jazz sextet of top musicians as well as string quartet. The album received ample airtime and enthusiastic reviews in Israel and the US and ranked at the top of jazz album lists in leading US magazines. "Sunrise" was the top selling jazz album in 2012 in Israel and its title track entered the list of "most played songs" in the popular 88FM radio station.

He has also collaborated with Israel's leading pop musicians and spent three years playing and musical directing the band in the successful late night TV show, "Tonight with Lior Shlein". Alongside his work as an instrumentalist, composer and arranger, Friedman is highly active as an educator, working to advance jazz among young people.

About the musicians

Yonatan Rosen, Tel Aviv native, is one of Israel's busiest drummers. Although jazz is his main passion from an early age, he works in different genres, in theaters and had played with many of Israel's leading jazz and pop artists. He is also a long time member of popular Israeli band (Alon Eder Velehaka). Yonatan Spent a few years in New York and later performed and recorded with jazz greats such as Eddie Henderson, Chuck Israels, Joe Magnarelli and more. These days he maintains a busy schedule of studio recordings and live shows across Israel, and tours Europe ans Asia with artists such as Cyrille Aimee, Guy Mintus and more.

Nitsan Kolko is an Israeli pianist, composer, and arranger.
His debut album “Allusions” - a duo collaboration with multi-instrumentalist Hillai Govreen, was highly praised by various important publications such as JazzNU(Belgium), Haaretz(Israel), Música-Terra (Japan), Cazkolik(Turkey) and more. Their collaboration also includes a nonet consisting of woodwind and string instruments, for which they compose and arrange original music together.
Nitsan’s other current projects include: leading a big band orchestra, being the conductor and musical director of a gospel choir, leading a trio of his original music as well as performing solo works. His work was presented in the most prestigious venues in Israel, such as the Tel Aviv Museum of Art, the Jerusalem Jazz Festival, the Red Sea Jazz Festival, Beit Haamudim, and Shablul among others.
Nitsan has played as a sideman with some of the most prominent jazz musicians in Israel as well as in New York in festivals around the world, including in the Netherlands, France, Slovakia, Germany, Ukraine and more.
He is a recipient of the America Israel Cultural Foundation scholarship, the Israeli Conservatory of Music Excellence Scholarship, the Ran Baron Award and the Israeli army “Outstanding Musician Award”.
Nitsan studied at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in NYC between 2018-2020 and graduated with honors under the instruction of Sam Yahel, Hal Galper, Buster Williams, Glenn Zaleski, Shai Maestro, and Dave Douglas among others.

Omri Hadani
Born in Tel Aviv Omri Hadani from a young age positioned himself as a prominent bassist in the Israeli jazz scene, with extensive experience of performances and albums that he recorded with many of the best in the field.