Avram Fefer Trio

Avram Fefer is a musical force to be reckoned with. With a distinctive voice on alto, tenor, and soprano saxophones, as well as Bb clarinet, he brings depth, intelligence, and soulfulness to every musical situation he's in. These include performances and recordings of straight-ahead and avant-garde jazz, as well as jazz-funk, West African, and modern orchestral music. His latest trio recording— with long-time collaborators, bassist Eric Revis and drummer Chad Taylor---brings these strengths and influences together in a coherent and powerfully moving way and reinforces the group's status as one of the scene's preeminent sax-bass-drum trios.

Their previous trio release, Ritual (2009), featured original compositions as well as group improvisations, and received rave reviews from critics and musicians alike:

"The fire ignited by saxophonist Avram Fefer is fresh, yet it sounds as eternal as all things avant in jazz... a stellar example of the trio tradition.

Fefer's varied experience, be it playing hypnotic West African traditional music or electro-acoustic trip-hop, informs his highly developed sense of swing. His coiled phrasing lends these propulsive excursions an infectious, groove-oriented focus.” (Allaboutjazz.com)

“Ear-grabbing work from this killer trio.
...has a sense of groove that's undeniable…. drawn-out, soulful explorations that ring out with a sense of freedom and an inherent swing”
(Dustygroove.com)

“This is great new jazz. What else is there to say?”
(gapplegatemusicreview.blogspot.com)

"Fefer leads a scalding trio on this disc.
There was a raw and palpable sense that the musicians were reaching for something special. All three musicians worked together, supporting each other and combing their talents in pursuit of a common goal.”
(Jazzandblues.blogspot.com)

Avram grew up on both coasts of the United States, received a liberal arts degree at Harvard University and studied music at Berklee College of Music and New England Conservatory. He then moved to Paris, France (1990) for several years where his music career officially began. During this time, he performed in Europe, Africa and the Mideast and was featured on diverse recordings, including by rap originators, the Last Poets (Scatterap/Home), and with jazz legend Archie Shepp on drummer Steve McCraven's Song of the Forest Boogeraboo [World McC Music]. He was also one of the founding members and featured soloists of the French "acid jazz" group, Beigels Daisy Toast, recording two top-selling CD's for Virgin France in 1994 and 95.

After spending the 1990’s as a soloist with a number of different groups, his first several recordings as a leader were singled out as among the Best of 2001 and Best of 2002 in publications such as Downbeat Magazine, Cadence magazine, the Village Voice, the Chicago Weekly Standard, and JazzPortugal. Now, with ten recordings as a leader or co-leader, Fefer has established a distinctive personal style reflecting his taste for adventure and experimentation while drawing on his command of the jazz tradition.
In New York, Fefer's diverse musical interests have kept him busy. In addition to his trio, he has been a part of several long-term musical collaborations:

• His four releases with 75 year old piano legend Bobby Few received both critical acclaim and international radio play, leading to several successful tours and a lasting musical partnership. Live and on record, these two consistently reconcile their mastery of the jazz tradition with their embrace of the avant-garde to create performances full of emotional power and musical sophistication.

• He has been a member of the quartet of bass virtuoso Michael Bisio (bassist of the Matt Shipp Trio) since 2004. They recorded four highly regarded CD's and delivered powerful performances in the U.S. and abroad, most notably at the Vision Festival XII (in NYC) and the CIMP Festival (in Austria).

• His inventive musicianship has also been noted and consistently tapped by bassist and composer Adam Lane in various forms--- from trios and quartets to octets and big bands. Their recent CD's together include Ashcan Rantings (Clean Feed Records) and The Blue Spirit Band (CIMP).

• Greg Tate's Burnt Sugar has employed Avram's creative attributes to astonishing effect on numerous recordings and performances, as well as on several tours in the states and abroad. He was a vital part of their recent collaboration with award-winning director Melvin Van Peebles on the theatrical production of Sweet Sweetback’s Baaadaaaas Song. He played tenor sax and contributed a small acting role as well.

• His 6-piece psychedelic jazz-funk band, Electric Kool-Aid, has recently been wowing audiences all over Manhattan and will be going into the studio soon to record a much-anticipated debut album. Featuring original compositions and improvisations by some of NYC’s most creative groove players, the music has a variety of influences, including Ornett