"Duets"- Itamar Erez & Yshai Afterman
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"Duets"- Itamar Erez & Yshai Afterman

Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel | INDIE

Tel Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel | INDIE
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"International Jewish Music Festival 2012 Newsletter"

Praise for "Duets" project – Itamar Erez & Yshai Afterman
after their performance at the International Jewish Music Festival, Amsterdam:

"The jury praises Duets for the subtlety and adventurousness of their playing. Among the many groups in the festival who ventured into new territory, Duets’ performance stood out for its maturity and its subtlety. The guitarist and the percussionist are equal partners. Both instruments have an important melodic as well as rhythmic function (rather than the customary distribution of labor). In the mandatory piece La Rosa Enflorece, the jury was struck by the original use of quasi-unisono playing of the two instruments. The overall effect was one of great delicacy and fine musical taste." - IJMF


"International Jewish Music Festival 2012 Newsletter"

Praise for "Duets" project – Itamar Erez & Yshai Afterman
after their performance at the International Jewish Music Festival, Amsterdam:

"The jury praises Duets for the subtlety and adventurousness of their playing. Among the many groups in the festival who ventured into new territory, Duets’ performance stood out for its maturity and its subtlety. The guitarist and the percussionist are equal partners. Both instruments have an important melodic as well as rhythmic function (rather than the customary distribution of labor). In the mandatory piece La Rosa Enflorece, the jury was struck by the original use of quasi-unisono playing of the two instruments. The overall effect was one of great delicacy and fine musical taste." - IJMF


"Hommage- Itamar Erez"

"After a solidly successful CD like Desert Song, most composer / performers would take some time off to bask in the glory, but not Itamar Erez. It seems that he found the whole project so stimulating that he just kept working at refining his craft and exploring new avenues of expression. The result is his stunning new CD Hommage.

From the opening notes of the first track Anouar (intro) I was struck by the sense that Itamar Erez has found a stronger confidence in his abilities and a mastery of composition that has allowed him to make a personal statement that few composers twice his age could achieve. All of the influences that made Desert Song such a wonderful CD are still there, but here they seem even more personal as Mr. Erez blends them with some marvellous jazz elements to create a unique style that lovers of any of these traditions will find irresistible.

Itamar Erez shows the same maturing of confidence and ability in his playing, both guitar and piano, and his joy in making music seems palpable throughout the album. I also need to credit the Adama Ensemble for their terrific performances - it must be no easy feat to keep up with a talent like Mr. Erez!

Anouar (intro) leads directly into Anouar. (I assume that both of these pieces are references to the great oud player Anouar Brahem.) While the intro sets up a middle eastern soundscape Anouar carries the piece into a jazz groove that rises to a driving intensity before subsiding into a more introspective mood. Itamar Erez has a particular talent for reconciling such polar moods seamlessly. Yoram Lachish's English Horn on this one is sensational.

The Promise begins with Mr. Erez on piano, pulsing out big chords that call on the entire ensemble to join in. This upbeat tune goes through some very cool rhythmic shifts and turns made all the more interesting by the percussion of special guest Shlomo Deshet. Mellow but never dull.

Omar'a is dedicated to Omar Faruk Tekbilek (Omar'a is Turkish for "to Omar"), who also plays ney on this tune. The ney (or nai) is one of the oldest known instruments, with some pictured in the Egyptian pyramids and others found in archeological excavations as early as Ur. It is a type of wooden end-blown flute, as opposed to the the transverse metal flutes in modern Western music. The ney has a breathy tone and is capable of amazing note bending from micro-tones to a whole tone. This track is a tour de force - a real standout on the CD. Omar Faruk Tekbilek is a virtuoso on the ney and everyone seems to rise to the opportunity to play with such a master. Itamar Erez provides a wonderful opening guitar solo that gradually introduces his quarter-tone fretlets into the music as the ney floats into the mix. The dialogue between guitar and ney is outstanding in this piece with both performers having plenty of opportunity and latitude to fly. Just a fantastic musical experience!

Shifting gears entirely, Choro for Lulo is a joyous guitar solo dedicated to fiery guitarist Lulo Reinhardt with whom Itamar has toured extensively. Itamar's fingers seem to dance over the frets as he lets loose with cascades of notes mixed with swinging chordal passages. This one is a tribute to both guitarists.

Intense begins with open arpeggios on the piano with splashes of colour from the percussion. This track grows very slowly up a notch, then back a bit, then a bit further to an understated intensity rather than a frenzy. This is intensity with a clear goal in sight, and in that way it sums up the CD perfectly.

Prisoner's Song is dedicated to Vincente Amigo, and I assume that the dedicatee is the brilliant flamenco guitarist of that name. This has all the flamenco fire that you could hope for along with the searingly soulful singing of Yehuda Shuky Shveiky. Shlomo Deshet really dials the percussion up a notch on on this one, and Itamar is particularly fine showing his flamenco chops. It sounds like they had to fade the ending just to get these guys to end the song - it blazes right up to the last almost inaudible sound! That is passion.

Once again Itamar Erez changes things up with a guitar solo, this time the introspective Belonging. The almost folk-like character is joined by classical tremolandos before sliding into some jazzier territory. This track feels like a journey where the guitarist is constantly discovering new territory while staying true to his original ideas. A truly original guitar piece.

The title piece Hommage is dedicated to the prolific Brazilian composer Egberto Gismonti, one of Itamar's musical heroes. Itamar begins with an intense Brazilian-flavoured guitar solo that soon draws in the whole band. There are some beautiful passages shared by guitar and Yorai Oron's acoustic bass before things slow down for yet another gorgeous melody from Yoram Lachish's oboe. Dani Benedikt's drums are outstanding on this one, and Shlomo Deshet blends his great percussion perfectly. The oboe just seems to take off in the - David Walker Music


"Hommage- Itamar Erez"

"After a solidly successful CD like Desert Song, most composer / performers would take some time off to bask in the glory, but not Itamar Erez. It seems that he found the whole project so stimulating that he just kept working at refining his craft and exploring new avenues of expression. The result is his stunning new CD Hommage.

From the opening notes of the first track Anouar (intro) I was struck by the sense that Itamar Erez has found a stronger confidence in his abilities and a mastery of composition that has allowed him to make a personal statement that few composers twice his age could achieve. All of the influences that made Desert Song such a wonderful CD are still there, but here they seem even more personal as Mr. Erez blends them with some marvellous jazz elements to create a unique style that lovers of any of these traditions will find irresistible.

Itamar Erez shows the same maturing of confidence and ability in his playing, both guitar and piano, and his joy in making music seems palpable throughout the album. I also need to credit the Adama Ensemble for their terrific performances - it must be no easy feat to keep up with a talent like Mr. Erez!

Anouar (intro) leads directly into Anouar. (I assume that both of these pieces are references to the great oud player Anouar Brahem.) While the intro sets up a middle eastern soundscape Anouar carries the piece into a jazz groove that rises to a driving intensity before subsiding into a more introspective mood. Itamar Erez has a particular talent for reconciling such polar moods seamlessly. Yoram Lachish's English Horn on this one is sensational.

The Promise begins with Mr. Erez on piano, pulsing out big chords that call on the entire ensemble to join in. This upbeat tune goes through some very cool rhythmic shifts and turns made all the more interesting by the percussion of special guest Shlomo Deshet. Mellow but never dull.

Omar'a is dedicated to Omar Faruk Tekbilek (Omar'a is Turkish for "to Omar"), who also plays ney on this tune. The ney (or nai) is one of the oldest known instruments, with some pictured in the Egyptian pyramids and others found in archeological excavations as early as Ur. It is a type of wooden end-blown flute, as opposed to the the transverse metal flutes in modern Western music. The ney has a breathy tone and is capable of amazing note bending from micro-tones to a whole tone. This track is a tour de force - a real standout on the CD. Omar Faruk Tekbilek is a virtuoso on the ney and everyone seems to rise to the opportunity to play with such a master. Itamar Erez provides a wonderful opening guitar solo that gradually introduces his quarter-tone fretlets into the music as the ney floats into the mix. The dialogue between guitar and ney is outstanding in this piece with both performers having plenty of opportunity and latitude to fly. Just a fantastic musical experience!

Shifting gears entirely, Choro for Lulo is a joyous guitar solo dedicated to fiery guitarist Lulo Reinhardt with whom Itamar has toured extensively. Itamar's fingers seem to dance over the frets as he lets loose with cascades of notes mixed with swinging chordal passages. This one is a tribute to both guitarists.

Intense begins with open arpeggios on the piano with splashes of colour from the percussion. This track grows very slowly up a notch, then back a bit, then a bit further to an understated intensity rather than a frenzy. This is intensity with a clear goal in sight, and in that way it sums up the CD perfectly.

Prisoner's Song is dedicated to Vincente Amigo, and I assume that the dedicatee is the brilliant flamenco guitarist of that name. This has all the flamenco fire that you could hope for along with the searingly soulful singing of Yehuda Shuky Shveiky. Shlomo Deshet really dials the percussion up a notch on on this one, and Itamar is particularly fine showing his flamenco chops. It sounds like they had to fade the ending just to get these guys to end the song - it blazes right up to the last almost inaudible sound! That is passion.

Once again Itamar Erez changes things up with a guitar solo, this time the introspective Belonging. The almost folk-like character is joined by classical tremolandos before sliding into some jazzier territory. This track feels like a journey where the guitarist is constantly discovering new territory while staying true to his original ideas. A truly original guitar piece.

The title piece Hommage is dedicated to the prolific Brazilian composer Egberto Gismonti, one of Itamar's musical heroes. Itamar begins with an intense Brazilian-flavoured guitar solo that soon draws in the whole band. There are some beautiful passages shared by guitar and Yorai Oron's acoustic bass before things slow down for yet another gorgeous melody from Yoram Lachish's oboe. Dani Benedikt's drums are outstanding on this one, and Shlomo Deshet blends his great percussion perfectly. The oboe just seems to take off in the - David Walker Music


"Hommage"

"Four years passed between the debut recording of Israeli pianist/guitarist Itamar Erez and this sophomore one. Desert Song (Self Produced, 2006), was recorded with his Canadian quartet, and after relocating to Israel he founded a local quartet, based on the same instrumentation that was introduced by the pioneering, genre-breaking quartet, Oregon.

On Hommage, Erez expands his musical horizons, dedicating his compositions to few of his musical inspirations: Brazilian composer and guitarist/pianist Egberto Gismonti; Tunisian oud master Anouar Brahem; Spanish flamenco guitar master Vicente Amigo; and two collaborators, American-Turkish world music multi-instrumentalist Omar Faruk Tekbilek and Gypsy guitarist Lulo Reinhardt. Surprisingly, there is no dedication to another influential musician, Orgeon's guitarist/pianist Ralph Towner, but it is a heartfelt homage, and some of the musical dedications are beautiful and imaginary, though others fall short of delivering a similar experience.

Such is the case with opening "Anouar," after Brahem, where the quartet follows the patient, hesitant development of the melody that is often typical to Brahem, but too soon opts for an obvious melodic theme that misses the fleeting mystery of Brahem's compositions. "The Promise" an "Intense" owe much to ECM-era Oregon compositions; both containing simple and playful melodies based on close interplay between Erez (on piano) and Lachish (on oboe).

The dedication to Tekbilek, with Tekbilek himself adding ney flute, is one of the album's most successful tributes. It is so passionate that the beautiful melody simply erupts, through swift changes of solos between Erez (on guitar) and Tekbilek, and the song gains more volume and energy as the other musicians join in. The dedication to Reinhardt is, as expected, a joyful guitar solo from Erez.

The most successful dedications are the ones for Amigo and Gismonti. "Prisoner's Song," after Amigo, with excellent flamenco vocalist Yehuda Sheviky, possesses a virtuosic, muscular melody that vibrates with intense passion and surprising twists. Erez's breezy solo guitar composition, "Belonging," bridges the gap between the steaming articulation of his dedication to Amigo and the sophisticated, multilayered Gismonti tribute, "Hommage." It's clear the Erez has studied Gismonti's repertoire and guitar playing closely, and he's managed to compose a brilliant melody that sounds as if it were coming from the Gismonti school while, at the same time, being different and distinctive".
- All About Jazz


"Sounds of Holy Lands"

Sounds of holy lands
By TONY MONTAGUE
Friday, June 10, 2005 Page R5
Special to The Globe and Mail

Shortly after moving to Vancouver from Israel in 1997, composer Itamar Erez hit a wall. It wasn't just the impact of the radical change in culture and climate. The contemporary classical tradition in which Erez had been immersed since his teens no longer sparked his creativity -- not on its own anyway. So his writing all but dried up, and he listened deeply, reflecting.

"The music I was composing wasn't really what I wanted to express, and I didn't know how to find a new voice," says the 39-year-old artist, interviewed at an East Vancouver restaurant. "It took me a few years to figure it out."

The experience of emigration and the hiatus from composing awakened his musical roots. Sounds that he'd virtually ignored in Israel because they were so familiar -- the aural backdrop of the street, the radio and café life -- gradually returned to his consciousness.

He absorbed with new interest the popular music of the Jewish and Arab worlds. "Once I found that connection, my own music started pouring out," says the soft-spoken Erez, a past recipient of the Israeli Prime Minister Creation Prize for Composers.

Several years of meeting and working with different artists on the local scene led him to form his own quartet last summer, with oboist Tony Nickels, bassist Laurence Mollerup and tabla-player Stefan Cihelka. The music of Adama -- which means Earth in Hebrew -- is an original blend of classical music, jazz and various genres of world music, from flamenco to Indian music, with a particular focus on Middle Eastern traditions.

Though Erez composes most of the material, the group's repertoire includes Morenica, a Sephardic Jewish song arranged by the band, and two pieces by Tunisian oud-player Anouar Brahem.

"There's also a small political dimension to what we do -- showing that Jewish and Arabic music are not only connected but come from the same source," says Erez. "That's very exciting for me."

In addition to working with Adama, and writing for film, Erez is currently playing with local Syrian musician Emad Armoush in Mediterranean Duo, and he is also a member of the Jewish-diaspora quintet Tzimmes.

Flamenco, with its fiery mix of Jewish and Arabic musical traditions, holds a special appeal for Erez. This summer he'll travel to Spain for a workshop with Gerardo Nunez, one of the greatest flamenco guitarists, near the Andalucian city of Cadiz. And in nearby Cordoba Erez will study with the legendary Brazilian jazzman Egberto Gismonti, a musician whose career he's followed closely for 20 years.

"When I'm home it will be time to record an album with Adama and start touring," Erez says. "I'd love to be able to take the group to Europe and Israel. With Adama I feel at last able to express all the different sides of myself, as a composer, as a performer, improviser, pianist, and guitar-player. The music is not intellectual as it was before. It's from my heart, and more fulfilling in every way."


- The Globe & Mail


Discography

"Duets- live in Luterhaus" - (DVD 2012)
"New Dawn" CD (2013)

Photos

Bio

Duets
Itamar Erez & Yshai Afterman

In the winter of 2010 Itamar was playing an intimate show in Klil, a northern village in Israel. Towards the end of the show, Yshai joined Itamar on stage and the two musicians began improvising, and magic transpired.
These accomplished, skilled and sensitive musicians have flourished in the world music scene, each in their own right, and now as a combined force in “Duets”.
Itamar Erez is an internationally renowned composer and guitarist, whose music has been commissioned and performed by various soloists, ensembles and orchestras throughout Europe, the Middle East, United States and Canada.
In the last decade, his music is rooted in world music, as well as contemporary jazz.
Itamar has released two CDs with his ensemble 'The Adama Ensemble'- the latest CD ('Hommage') includes compositions that are tribute to such musicians as Egberto Gismonti, Omar Faruk Tekbilek, Anouar Brahem, Lulo Reinhardt, and others.
In 2007 Itamar has joined the group of Sufi maestro Omar Faruk Tekbilek and is touring with him internationally ever since.

http://www.itamarerez.com

Yshai Afterman is a world percussionist specializing in middle-eastern hand drums. 
He draws on the Indian, Turkish, Persian and Arab traditions, blending them with original developments into a highly technical, rhythmical and melodic modern style. 
He studied with Zohar Fresco intensively for 4 years, and studied classical eastern music under Piris Eliyahu, an internationally acclaimed composer, music researcher and musician from Israel.
He is a graduate of the prestigious Nissan Nativ Acting Studio in Tel Aviv. 
Yshai teaches master classes and performs in various settings in Israel and around the world. The projects he plays in move between Jazz, Fusion, Rock and Traditional Music. 
He is endorsed by the "Cooperman Frame Drums”.

http://www.yshaiafterman.com

For booking inquiries: info@itamarerez.com www.itamarerez.com
+972-54-8055901

Band Members